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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

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http://www.archive.org/details/americansportsmaOOIewirich 


PHILADELPHIA: 
1857. 


THE 


l^mmran  ^prtsme: 


CONTAINING 


HINTS  TO  SPORTSMEN,  NOTES  ON  SHOOTING, 


AND   THE    HABITS    OF    THE 


§mt  §irts  u)i  Wixl)i  ^M  at  %mtxm. 


BY 


ELISHA  J^LEWIS,  M.D. 


KBMBER  OP  THE  AMERICAN   PHILOSOPHICAL  SOCIETY-  MEMBER  OP  THE  ACADEMY  OP  NATURAL  SCIENCES 
OF   PHILADELPHIA;  AMERICAN  EDITOR  OF   "YOUATT  ON  THE  DOG,"  ETC.  ETC. 


WITH  NUMEROUS  ILLUSTRATIONS, 
©eztgntli  bjo  (Scorfje  C5.  SISEfjitc— Engraiitli  bu  fLoutifriarft  &  f^offmsnn. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
J.    B.    LIPPINCOTT    &    CO. 

1863. 


»*   V  \ 


according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1856,  bj 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  k  CO. 

in  the  Clerk's  OflBce  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Eastern  District  of 
Pennsylvania. 


TO 


J.  K.  MITCHELL,  M.D. 

PROFESSOR  OF  THE  PRACTICE  OP  MEDICINE  IN  THE  JEFFERSON  MEDICAL  COLLEGE 
OF  PHILADELPHIA, 

®|is  Hlffrli  011  Spr% 


IS  RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED 
Y     HIS     FRIEND     AND     FORMER     PUPIL, 

ELISHA  J.  LEWIS,  M.D. 


M151S67 


My  dear  Doctor  : — 

A  FEW  months  only  have  elapsed  since  the  appearance 
of  the  second  edition  of  my  book  on  Sporting ;  and  the  pub- 
lishers, much  to  my  gratification,  notify  me  that  they  are  once 
more  in  need  of  another  supply.  To  this  flattering  appeal 
I  most  cheerfully  assent,  and  trust  that  you  will  again  find 
the  volume,  on  this  its  third  advent,  much  improved,  as  a 
number  of  illustrations  have  been  added  and  the  text  some- 
what enlarged. 

With  sentiments  of  the  warmest  esteem,  I  am,  in  all 
sincerity, 

My  dear  Doctor, 

Most  truly  and  faithfully  yours, 

ELISHA  J.  LEWIS. 
To  Professor  J.  K  Mitchell. 


PREFACE 


TO   THE   THIED   EDITIOIS" 


intelligent,  observant  sportsman, 
whether  he  be  a  votary  of  the  gentle 
craft,  or  a  zealous  advocate  of  the  dog 
and  gun,  instinctively — ^yes,  oftentimes 
without  being  in  the  least  conscious 
of  it  himself — becomes  an  impassioned 
admirer  of  nature  and  nature's  works 
in  her  most  varied  and  attractive 
forms. 

It  is  not,  as  many  narrow-minded  astutes  ignorantly  sup- 
pose, the  mere  slaughter  of  the  timorous  partridge  which  so 
early  calls  him  forth  to  the  stubble-field;  neither  is  it  the 
coveted  possession  of  the  savory  woodcock  that  lures  him  to 
the  entangled  brake;  nor  is  it  the  soaring  luisps  of  fickle 
snipes  which  alone  entice  him  to  the  oozy  meadows ;  nor 
yet  the  booming  grouse  that  makes  him  climb  the  mountain- 
side or  seek  the  far-ofiT  rolling  prairie. 

There  are  other  incentives,  other  charms,  besides  these, 
O  ye  incredulous,  pent-up  inhabitants  of  a  crowded  city, 
which  impel  the  sportsman,  as  with  a  siren's  wand,  to  hie 
joyfully  away  with  dog  and  gun  to  the  fields,  to  the  hills,  to 
the  rich  autumn-tinted  forests. 

Our  sportsman  has  become  an  admirer  of  nature ;  he  has 


xii  PREFACE     TO     THE     THIRD     EDITION. 

learned  to  appreciate  the  quiet  beauties  of  a  wide-extended 
landscape  as  it  spreads  out  majestically  before  bim  ;  be  views 
witb  enthusiastic  deligbt  tbe  startling  grandeur  of  a  mountain- 
gorge  as  it  suddenly  bursts  upon  bis  sight;  be  wanders  in 
silent  satisfaction  through  tbe  murmuring  forests  of  stately 
oaks,  and  lingers  for  a  while  in  pleasant  meditation  ere  be 
leaps  the  noisy  gurgling  streamlet  that  coquettishly  crosses 
bis  path. 

Then,  resting  for  a  time  from  bis  pursuits,  our  happy 
sportsman  plucks  a  half-bidden  flower  from  its  heathery  bed, 
listens  to  tbe  far-resounding  echoes  of  tbe  unerring  gun,  joins 
the  merry  laugh  of  bis  boon-companions,  or  returns  tbe  wild 
halloo  of  approaching  friends. 

'Now  again  be  slakes  his  burning  thirst  witb  the  sparkling 
waters  of  a  mountain-spring,  or  laves  bis  manly  brow  with  tbe 
crystal  drops  from  tbe  purling  rill  that  so  musically  babbles  at 
bis  very  feet ;  and,  giving  full  freedom  to  those  warmer  senti- 
ments of  tbe  heart  which  too  often  become  choked  and  stifled 
by  tbe  close  contact  of  selfish  city  life,  be  breathes  a  prayer 
of  gratitude  to  a  beneficent  Providence  for  all  these  enjoy- 
ments, for  all  these  pleasurable  sensations. 

To  the  fields,  then, — to  the  bright  and  beautiful  fields, — to 
tbe  forests,  all  clothed  in  the  gorgeous  livery  of  tbe  winter's 
frosts, — to  tbe  mountains,  rich  in  eternal  verdure, — to  the 
limpid  streams  and  gushing  rills, — do  we  once  more  invite  you, 
to  spend  those  flitting  hours  of  leisure  vouchsafed  to  us  all 
amid  the  busy  scenes  of  active  life. 


My  dear  Doctor: — 

I  AM  fully  conscious  of  the  fact  that  it  does  not  seem  well 
in  the  present  age  for  an  author  to  appear  egotistical,  and 
it  therefore  becomes  him  even  far  less  to  allude  to  his  own 
productions  in  terms  of  praise  or  commendation  ;  but  still  I 
may,  I  trust,  in  this  instance  at  least,  be  pardoned  for  ex- 
pressing a  conviction  that  you  will  be  much  gratified  with  the 
new  dress  that  my  volume  on  Sporting  has  assumed  on  this 
its  second  advent. 

I  beg  particularly  to  call  your  attention  to  my  Introduction 
to  this  second  edition,  which,  in  connection  with  some  other 
matters,  explains  the  motives  that  impelled  me  to  change  the 
title  of  my  book,  and  of  which  I  dare  hope  you  will  equally 
approve. 

In  its  present  improved  form  and  attractive  gear,  I  flatter 
myself  that  the  "American  Sportsman"  w^ill  give  increased 
satisfaction  to  my  sporting  friends,  and  withal  again  afibrd 
you  an  hour  or  so  of  pleasant  relaxation  from  the  more  severe 
studies  and  weighty  responsibilities  which  your  eminent  posi- 
tion in  the  profession  necessarily  imposes  upon  you. 

With  many  more  kind  wishes,  and  with  sentiments  of  high 
esteem  and  great  personal  regard,  I  have  much  pleasure  as 
well  as  pride  in  subscribing  myself,  as  ever. 
My  dear  doctor. 

Most  truly  and  faithfully  yours, 

ELISHA  J.   LEWIS. 
To  Professor  J.  K  Mitchell. 


xiii 


PREFACE 


TO    THE   SECOI^D  EDITIOK 


E  must  confess  that  it  was  with  some 
degree  of  surprise,  as  well  as  plea- 
sure, that  we  learned  from  our  pub- 
lishers that  they  were  so  soon  ready 
to  enter  into  an  arrangement  with  us 
for  a  second  edition  of  our  "  Hints  to 
Sportsmen,"   as  it  was   a  gratifying 
assurance,   on   their    part,   that    the 
unpretending  volume  which  we  had 
sent  forth  from  the  press  with  many  misgivings  as  to  its 
merits  had  met  with  a  kind  and  liberal  reception  from  those 
for  whom  we  had  in  our  hours  of  leisure  compiled  it. 

It  would  be  affectation  in  us  not  to  acknowledge  that  it  was 
with  considerable  satisfaction  we  observed  from  time  to  time 
the  many  flattering  reviews  and  complimentary  notices  which 
appeared  in  the  various  journals  in  reference  to  our  work. 

We  sincerely  trust  that  on  this,  its  second  advent^  in  an  entirely 
new  as  well  as  doubly  attractive  garb,  we  will  meet  with  the 
like  good  treatment  from  our  friends  of  the  press.  We  can 
assure  all  our  readers  that  nothing  has  been  wanting  on  our 
part  to  render  the  volume  still  more  instructive  and  interest- 
ing, both  as  regards  the  style  of  getting-up  and  the  additional 
matter  inserted. 


XVI  PREFACE     TO     THE     SECOND     EDITION. 

Thepe  additions,  however,  though  numerous,  have  been  in 
most  instances  ingrafted  so  insidiously  on  the  old  text  that 
they  can  scarcely  be  discerned,  save  by  those  who  may  have 
felt  their  deficiency  in  the  first  edition,  and  will  now,  we  trust, 
in  the  present  volume,  find  a  portion  at  least  of  these  defects 
supplied. 

In  accordance  with  the  repeated  suggestions  of  some  of  our 
sporting  friends,  we  have  deemed  it  advis.able  to  change  the 
title  of  our  book  from  "  Hints  to  Sportsmen"  to  that  of  the 
"American  Sportsman." 

The  former  appellation,  considering  the  great  variety  of 
subjects  introduced,  and  the  copiousness  with  which  many 
of  them  are  treated,  seemed  rather  too  restricted  in  its  signi- 
fication, and  far  less  comprehensive  in  its  general  bearing 
than  a  work  of  this  character  merited.  Besides  all  this,  the 
large  additions  as  well  as  alterations  that  we  have  made  in  the 
present  volume  seemed  still  further  to  urge  upon  us  the 
propriety  of  this  change,  and  more  especially  as  the  work  in  its 
entirely  new  and  beautiful  dress  can  scarcely  be  regarded  as 
the  same  book,  or  even  recognised  as  the  offspring  of  the  first 
edition.  We  cannot  refrain  from  calling  the  attention  of  our 
sporting  friends  to  the  wood-cuts  of  the  various  game-birds, 
most  of  which,  in  point  of  execution,  have  not  been  equalled, 
let  alone  excelled,  by  any  thing  of  the  kind  before  done  in 
this  country.  * 

To  the  Messrs.  Louderback  and  Hoffmann  we  are  indebted 
for  the  skill  and  faithfulness  with  which  they  have  accom- 
plished their  portion  of  the  work,  and  we  cheerfully  acknow- 
ledge that  their  great  attention  to  our  suggestions,  coupled 
with  a  becoming  ambition  on  their  part  to  do  what  would  be 
creditable  to  themselves,  relieved  us  of  much  trouble  as  well 
as  anxiety.  Of  the  truthfulness  of  these  engravings  to  nature 
we  need  say  but  little,  as  they  speak  for  themselves,  the  most 
of  them  being  really  very  lifelike  both  in  position  and  ex- 
pression.    We  may  remark,  however,  en  passant,  that  every 


PREFACE     TO     THE     SECOND     EDITION.  XVll 

bird  and  every  fowl  was  sketched  from  choice  specimens 
obtained  from  the  Academy  oe  I^atural  Sciences,  or  from 
other  equally  good  sources;  and  in  almost  every  instance, 
the  drawings  were  subjected  to  the  approval  of  our  much- 
esteemed  friend,  John  Cassin,  Esq.,  before  the  blocks  were 
placed  in  the  hands  of  the  engravers. 

This  latter  circumstance  alone  should  of  itself  be  a 
sufficient  guarantee  of  their  correctness,  as  every  one  at 
all  conversant  with  science  well  knows  of  Mr.  Cassin's 
rare  acquirements  in  this  particular  department  of  Natural 
History. 

And  we  now  gladly  avail  of  this  opportune  occasion  to 
make  our  public  acknowledgments  to  this  gentleman  for 
his  many  valuable  suggestions  in  reference  to  the  execution 
of  these  drawings,  the  securing  of  which,  by-the-by,  has 
been  by  far  the  most  difficult  —  in  fact,  we  may  freely  say, 
the  only  unpleasant  as  well  as  vexatious  —  portion  of  our 
task.  We  also  return  thanks  to  Mr.  John  Krider  for  his 
generous  aid  in  supplying  us  with  the  skins  of  several 
specimens  of  birds,  which  assisted  materially  in  insuring 
correct  drawings. 

This  is  not  the  only  good  service  which  Mr.  Krider  has 
done  us  as  well  as  the  rest  of  the  craft  during  the  last  year ; 
for,  independently  of  the  many  fine  guns  that  he  has  turned 
out  from  his  workshop,  he  has,  with  the  valuable  assistance 
of  his  friend,  Mr.  H.  M.  Klapp,  furnished  us  with  his  "  Sport- 
ing Anecdotes,"  a  book  replete  not  only  with  amusing  but 
very  instructive  information  regarding  the  habits  of  our 
game-birds,  sporting-dogs,  &c.  &c. 

Mr.  George  G.  White,  the  principal  draughtsman,  and, 
I  may  say,  pupil,  of  Mr.  Cassin's  in  this  particular  kind  of 
drawing,  has  displayed  much  taste  as  well  as  artistic  skill 
in  his  delineations  of  the  birds ;  and  we  doubt  if  he  has  any 
superior,  if  equal,  on  our  side  of  the  vasty  deep  in  this  spe- 
cial branch  of  designing.      His  chapter-headings   and   many 

2 


xvin 


PREFACE    TO     THE     SECOND   EDITION. 


of  the  vignettes  are  also  spirited  and  characteristic ;  the  title- 
page  of  the  four  seasons,  and  frontispiece,  are  very  pleasing 
compositions,  and  give  still  further  evidences  of  his  talent  and 
genius  as  an  artist. 

With  these  few  comments,  we  again  send  our  volume  forth 
from  the  press,  trusting,  as  before,  far  more  to  the  well-known 
generosity  of  the  craft  for  its  kind  reception,  than  to  any  great  merit 
of  its  own,  but  at  the  same  time  bearing  in  mind  the  good  old 
Latin  proverb,  that — "Frustra  laborat  qui  omnibus  placere 
studet." 


My  dear  Doctor: — 

Although  we  have  never  flushed  the  covey,  started  the 
woodcock,  or  wmged  the  wild  duck,  in  company,  yet  I  know 
full  well  your  partiality  for  the  country,  as  also  your  early 
fondness  for  field  and  rural  sports ;  and,  if  you  had  not  been 
so  early  engrossed  by  professional  duties,  I  doubt  not  that 
you  would  have  been  the  foremost  among  those  who  derive 
so  much  enjoyment  and  healthful  recreation  from  the  dog 
and  gun. 

Be  not  surprised,  therefore,  my  dear  sir,  that,  without  any 
previous  intimation,  I  should  dedicate  this  volume  to  you; 
and  at  the  time  rest  assured  that,  in  so  doing,  I  am  not  alone 
influenced  by  those  early  feelings  of  friendship  naturally 
engendered  by  your  many  kindnesses  to  me  while  a  student 
in  your  office,  but  I  beg  rather  to  present  it  as  a  slight  token 
of  the  high  appreciation  I  entertain  of  your  varied  talents  and 
distinguished  worth  In  the  profession  of  which  you  are  so 
successful  a  teacher  and  practitioner. 

Accept,  then,  dear  sir,  this  little  tribute  of  esteem  from  one 

who  has  ever  regarded  the  period  of  his  association  with  you 

when  a  pupil  as  a  bright  spot  in  the  vista  of  life,  to  which  he 

ever  refers  with  peculiar  feelings  of  pleasure ;  and,  in  conclusion, 

Believe  me,  my  dear  doctor. 

Very  faithfully  yours, 

ELISHA  J.  LEWIS. 
To  Professor  J.  K  Mitchell. 


XIX 


PREFACE 

TO   THE   FIKST   EDITION 


^1^  HE  lovers  of  the  dog  and  gun  are 
under  many  and  great  obligations  to 
Henry  William  Herbert,  Esq.,  for  his 
most  excellent  works  on  Sporting, 
which  speak  for  themselves  and  need 
no  commendation  from  our  pen.  They 
abound  in  information  and  research 
which  few  have  had  so  great  opportu- 
nities of  collecting  or  so  much  talent  to  put  together.  We  also 
owe  much  to  William  T.  Porter,  Esq.,  for  his  valuable  and 
beautiful  edition  of  ''Hawker;"  and  we  should  not  forget  to 
thank  J.  S.  Skinner,  Esq.,*  for  his  many  contributions  to  the 
same  branch  of  literature.  The  general  favor  which  the  pro- 
ductions of  these  gentlemen  have  met  with  from  the  public 
has  the  more  emboldened  us  to  venture  forth  with  this  unpre- 
tending volume,  trusting,  however,  far  more  to  the  well-known 
generosity  of  "the  craft"  for  its  kind  reception  than  to  any 
great  merit  of  its  own. 

We  shall  not,  in  a  short  preface  like  this,  attempt  to  ofier, 
for  the  consideration  of  our  readers,  any  thing  like  an  eulo- 

*  Since  writing  the  above,  Mr.  Skinner  has  been  gathered  to  his  fathers,  ripe 
in  years  and  full  of  honors.  His  contributions  to  the  cause  of  agriculture,  rural 
sports,  and  other  kindred  subjects,  were  numerous,  and  insured  for  him  a  wide- 
extended  and  well-deserved  reputation  throughout  our  country. 


XXU  PREFACE     TO    THE     FIRST    EDITION. 

gium  upon  field-sports ;  nor  shall  we  endeavor  to  exhibit  to 
the  world  the  many  benefits  and  advantages  to  be  derived 
from  the  general  encouragement  of  these  healthful  pursuits. 

We  beg  merely  to  remind  the  student  of  science,  the 
cunning  expounder  of  Blackstone,  the  deeply-read  follower 
of  Galen,  the  shrewd  devotee  of  commerce,  as  well  as  the 
most  skilful  and  industrious  of  artisans,  that  their  intellectual 
powers  demand  some  remission  of  their  labors,  and  that  their 
physical  energies  also  need  a  certain  degree  of  recreation  or 
resuscitation  to  enable  them  to  pursue  those  studies  and  attain 
those  ends  which  stern  necessity  or  exalted  ambition  prompts 
them  to  undertake. 

How,  then,  or  where,  then,  may  we  ask,  can  this  relaxation 
of  the  mind  as  well  as  of  the  body  be  more  agreeably  obtained 
than  in  the  open  fields  and  beautiful  forests  of  our  favored 
country?  There,  and  there  alone,  far  away  from  the  busy 
throngs  of  selfish  men,  wandering  with  some  favored  friend, 
in  sweet  communion  with  the  green  fields,  the  stately  forests, 
and  limpid  streams,  the  mind  of  the  most  grave  and  studious 
becomes  truly  unbent  and  freed  from  its  labors.  There  the 
heart  beats  with  renewed  vigor,  the  blood  courses  through  its 
usually  sluggish  channels  with  a  quickened  pace,  and  the 
whole  animal  as  well  as  intellectual  economy  becomes  sharp- 
ened and  revivified  under  exciting  and  healthful  influences. 

Add,  then,  to  this  scene  the  eager  sportsman,  surrounded 
by  his  faithful  and  sagacious  dogs ;  call  up  the  sharp  echo  of 
the  unerring  gun;  recollect  the  plaintive  call  of  the  timid 
partridge,  the  startling  whirr  of  the  affrighted  pheasant,  the 
rapid  flight  of  the  lonely  woodcock,  the  devious  course  of 
the  fickle  snipe,  or,  perchance,  the  sudden  rush  of  the  skulking 
hare,  and  the  picture  is  complete.  Then  tell  us  whether  such 
scenes  as  these  are  not  calculated  to  enliven  the  mind,  expand 
the  energies,  and  not  only  bring  the  glow  of  health  to  the 
cheek  of  youth,  but  infuse  renewed  vigor  into  the  very  soul 
of  the  infirm  and  sedentary. 


PREFACE    TO    THE    FIRST    EDITION.  XXlll 

Is  there  not  a  time  when  the  wan-faced  student  of  science 
may  neglect  for  a  while  the  sickly  flickerings  of  the  midnight 
lamp  ?  Is  there  not  a  time  when  the  learned  counsellor  may 
escape  the  wranglings,  the  jeerings,  the  bitter  feuds  of  the 
halls  of  justice  ?  And  is  there  not  a  moment  of  leisure,  an 
hour  of  repose,  when  the  skilful  physician  may  turn  a  deaf 
ear  to  the  harassing  solicitations  of  suffering  humanity,  and 
draw  for  a  brief  period  the  curtain  of  oblivion  around  the 
couch  of  disease  and  death  ? 

Yes  !  there  is  a  time  for  all  these ;  and  there  is  a  time  when 
even  the  anxious,  upright,  and  enterprising  merchant  may, 
for  a  brief  period,  while  quaffing,  as  it  were,  the  fabled  waters 
of  Lethe,  forget  the  perplexities  of  commerce,  the  fluctuations 
of  trade,  the  uncertainty  of  riches,  and  remain  even  unmindful 
of  his  gallant  ships,  that  come  bounding  across  the  briny  deep, 
heavily  freighted  with  the  fine  wares  of  the  I^orth,  the  South, 
the  East,  and  the  "West. 

Yes !  there  is  a  time,  thanks  to  the  noble  founders  of  our 
liberal  institutions,  when  even  the  industrious  artisan,  freed 
from  all  care  and  anxiety,  may  forget  the  labors  and  duties 
of  the  shop,  and  wander  forth  to  enjoy  the  works  of  nature 
and  learn  more  highly  to  appreciate  the  boon  of  freedom, 
his  country's  dearest  gift. 

To  the  fields,  then, — to  the  bright  and  beautiful  fields, — with 
"dog  and  gun,"  do  we  invite  you,  one  and  all,  to  spend  those 
hours  of  leisure  and  participate  in  those  innocent  enjoyments 
so  captivating  to  a  true  sportsman. 


INDEX. 


AcouM,  463, 

comments  on  the  giuttony  of  Sa- 
vages, 463. 
comments  on  the  pleasures  of  the 

table,  463. 
comments  on  the  frozen  markets 
of  St.  Petersburg  and  Moscow, 
467. 
Achilles,  the  bravery  of,  430. 
Act  of  Assembly,  93. 

against  killing  game  in  Delaware,  93. 
against  killing  game  in  Illinois  and 

other  Western  States,  93. 
against  killing  game  in  Maryland, 

93. 
against  killing  game  in  New  Jersey. 

93. 
against  killing  game  in  Pennsylvania, 
93. 
Africa,  guns  made  for,  448. 
Age  of  the  Dog,  509. 
Ah-bob-white,  75. 
Ajax,  the  bravery  of,  430. 
Alexander  the  Great:  superstitious  dread 

of  gunpowder,  430. 
Ambush,  erected  on  the  flats,  292. 

how  constructed  292, 
Amputate  the  wing  of  a  wounded  bird, 

how  to,  491. 
Anecdote,  snipe-shooting,  203. 
swan-shooting,  298. 
punters' — of  frozen  ducks,  299. 
of  Colonel  Hawker,  302. 
Apicius,  extraordinary  feast  of,  464. 
ApoUonius    Tyanaeus,    refers    to    gun- 
powder, 430. 
Philostratus,  historian  of,  430. 
Audubon,    description  of  driving  Par- 
tridges, 94. 
description  of  the  Wild  Tur- 
key, 127. 
observations  on  the  migrations 

of  Squirrels,  359. 
comments  on  cooking  game, 
473. 


Auriculars,   ear-coverts,    their    position 

and  use,  34. 
Auri  sacra  fames  of  the  present   dav, 

93. 
Aztecs,  Wild  Turkey  domesticated  araoug, 

138. 

B 

Bacchus,  Egyptian,  repulsed  with  gun- 
powder, 430. 
Backwoodsmen  of  America,  51. 

their    exploits   with   the 

rifle,  51. 
killing  Squirrels  and  Wild 
Turkeys,  51. 
Bacon,    Friar,   his    knowledge   of   gun- 
powder, 430. 
Bald-pate,  (see  Widgeon,)  311. 
Barnyard  Ducks,  fed  on  celery,  272. 
Barrels,  leading  of,  how  freed,  398. 
Bar-shooting,  297. 
Bartram,    statement    respecting    young 

Rails,  220. 
Bastard-wing,  description  of,  34. 
Bats,  acute  sensation  of,  38. 
Battery,  description  of,  283. 

great  numbers   of  ducks  shot 

from,  284. 
mode  of  building,  286. 
explanation  of  the  model,  288. 
Beetle  or  Bull-head,  (see  Plover,)  249. 
Bears,  in  Iowa,  63. 

large  numbers  destroyed,  91. 
Beef,  Sportsman's,  how  made,  481. 
Birds,  batting,  189. 

flesh  of,  made  poisonous,  78. 
measurement  of,  36. 
moulting,  38. 
nocturnal,  37. 
serpents  charming,  73. 
technical  terms  applied  to,  33. 
Black  or  Dusky  Duck,  322. 

well  known  in    the   Philadelphia 

market,  322^ 
habits  and  description,  323. 
Black-bellied  Plover,  (see  Plover,)  248. 

XXV 


XXVI 


INDEX. 


Blain — directions  for  polishing  rust  from 

gun-barrels,  401. 
Blow,  treatment  of,  504. 
Bob-o-link,  (see  Reed-Bird,)  210. 
Boots,  shooting,  388. 
best  kind,  389. 
receipts  for  dressing,  392. 
Boswell — comments  on  Dr.  Johnson's  eat- 
ing, 459. 
Both  eyes  open,  60. 
Bowles,  Mr.,  description  of  the  feeding 

of  Woodcocks,  173. 
Box,  (see  Battery,)  283. 
Brace  or  couple,  what  is  understood  by 

a,  41. 
Brant  or  Brent,  Barnacle  Goose,  335. 

Anas    Bernicla — habits — haunts, 

335. 
how  killed — description,  336. 
a  gang  of,  42. 
Brewer — observation    on    the    ventrilo- 
quism of  Rails,  221. 
Brown,  Captain — his  work  on  Taxidermy, 

488. 
Brown  thickening  for  game,  480. 
Bryan,  George  H. — a  Rail   captured  at 

sea,  221. 
BufFel-headed  Duck— Butter-ball,  320. 
Anas  Albeola,  320. 
habits,  haunts,    and   description, 
321. 
Buffaloes — great  numbers  destroyed,  91. 
Buffon — opinion  as  to  the  origin  of  the 
Wild  Turkey,  138. 
statement  respecting  Whit©  Par- 
tridges, 84. 
Bull  or  Beetle-head,  (see  Plover,)  249. 
Burlington,  Iowa,  89. 

large  numbers  of  Partidges 
netted  in  neighborhood  of, 
89. 
Burn,  how  to  be  treated,  606. 
Bursting  of  guns,  418. 
Bush  River — toliug  ducks  on,  278. 
Butter-ball,   (see    Bufi«l-lieadcd  Duck,) 
820. 

C 
Canada  Goose,  (see  Goose,)  329. 
Grouse,  164. 

Grouse  met  with  in,  164. 
Canard  Cheval,  272. 
Cannon,  antiquity  of,  432. 
Canvas-back,  267. 

Anas  Valisineria,  267. 
their  great  repute,  267. 
testimony  of  Wilson  as  to  their 

peculiar  delicacy,  268. 
known  only  in  America,  268. 
description,  history,  and  habits, 
268. 


Canvas-back — continued. 

their  food  and  haunts,  270. 
shyness   and  modes  of  taking, 

273. 
toling,  boating,  netting,  274. 
use  of  dug-outs,  281. 
batteries,  surface-boats,  or  sinks, 

283. 
description  of  batteries,  286. 
decoys,  290. 

ambush  on  the  flats,  292. 
shooting  off  points,  293. 
holes  in  the  ice,  295. 
point  and  bar-shooting,  296. 
anecdote,  298. 
art  of  shooting,  299. 
yerses  descriptive  of,  304. 
Cap-chargers,  376. 
Cap,  Napoleon,  385. 
Caps,  Percussion,  varieties  of,  373. 
Carolina,  Reed-Birds  in,  214. 

Snipe  in,  194. 
Cartridges,  extensively  used,  377. 

how  made  and  when  service- 
able, 378. 
Eley's  patent,  380. 
Celery  sauce,  how  made,  478. 
Ceylon,  Snipes  in,  194. 
Citizens  encourage  killing  game  out  of 
season,  92. 
should  discountenance  game  sup- 
pers, 93. 
Chandler.,  M.  T.  W.— 

observations   on    Woodcocks, 

170. 
observations  on  the  haunts  of 

Woodcocks,  182. 
receipts    for    making    water- 
proof  dressing    for    boots, 
394. 
Charadrius  Api'icarius,  (see  Black-Bellied 
Plover,)  248. 
Pluvialis,  (see  Golden  Plover,) 
250. 
Charles  the  First — 

small-arms  in  the  reign  of,  435. 
Charming  birds,  serpents,  72. 
Chesapeake  Bay — 

partridges  caught  on  the   shores 

of  the,  88. 
as  a  resort  of  wild  fowl,  262. 
various  kinds  of  Ducks  on,  262. 
exciting  times  on,  263. 
present   and   future  numbers   of 
wild  fowl  on,  305. 
China,  gunpowder  known  in,  429. 
Chinese,  gunpowder  known  to,  429. 
food  of  the,  464. 
gunpowder  used  by  the,  431. 
Clapper  Rail,  (see  Rallus  Crepitans,)  237 
Clean  guns,  386. 


INDEX. 


XXVU 


Clerks  oi  the  market  blind  as  bats,  92. 
Club-houses — encourage  killing  of  game 

out  of  season,  92. 
Coat,  made  of  fustian,  385. 

made  of  woollen  cloth,  385. 
Cocking  the  gun,  364. 
Cock,  part  of  the  machinery  of  a  gun, 

377. 
CoflBn-boat,  description  of,  283. 
Columbia  River,   Ruflfed   Grouse  on   the 
ranges  of,  143. 
Pinnated  Grouse  abun- 
dant about,  159. 
Columbia  migratoria — Wild  Pigeon,  265. 
Collum,  the  neck,  36. 
Conquest  of  Mexico — Wild  Turkey  men- 
tioned by  Prescott,  138. 
Constantinople — British  cruisers  visited, 

137. 
Coolness  and  deliberation,  necessity  of, 
48. 
importance  of,  52. 
Cooking,  art  of — game,  458. 

"God  sends  meat,  who" — 458. 
Rumford's  philosophic  remarks 

on,  458. 
Mayo's,  Dr.,  remarks  on,  459. 
importance  of  good,  460. 
authors'  views  and  sentiments, 

459. 
Johnson's,    Dr.,  comments   on, 

459. 
further  comments  on   the  im- 
portance of  good,  460. 
authors'  remarks  On,  461. 
Accum's  remarks  on,  463. 
among  the  Romans,  464. 
among  the  Chinese,  464. 
comments   of  Louis  Eustache 

Ude,  465. 
to   select   game,    and  when  to 

cook  it,  466. 
frozen  game,  467. 
to  roast  game,  larded,  broiled, 

469. 
boiled  game,  and   some  other 

ways,  471. 
Snipe,  Woodcock,  Plover,  Phea- 
sants, 472. 
Reed-Birds,    Rail,    and    other 

kinds  of  game,  474. 
Wild  Fowl,  477. 
Canvas-backs,  477. 
further  remarks  on,  478. 
brown  thickening  for,  480. 
potatoes  a  la  maitre  d'hotel,  480. 
Venison  soup,  481. 
Sportsman's  Beef,  481. 
Hares,  Rabbits,   or    Squirrels, 
482. 
Copple,  Daniel,  white  Snipe  killed  by,  208. 


Corns  on  the  feet,  how  cured,  501. 
Corona — crown  of  the  head,  35. 
Couple  or  Brace,  explanation  of,  41. 
Covert-shooting,  rules  for,  59. 
Cross-shooting,  or  cross-shots,  56. 

rules  for,  56. 
Curlew,  Esquimaux  or  Short-billed  Cur- 
lew, 241. 

Scolopax  Borealis,  241. 

nomenclature  and  history,  241. 

migrations,  food,  242. 

their   flesh,  and   time   to   shoot 
them,  243. 
Curlew,  Long-billed  or  Sickle-bill — 

Numenius  Longirostris,  245. 

habits  and  description,  245. 
Cygnus  Americana,  (see  Swan,}  337. 

D 

Daniel,  Rev.  Wm.  B. — 

fecundity  of  the   English  Par- 
tridge referred  to  by,  70. 
several   white    Partidges   mou- 

tioned  by,  83. 
description  of  English  Pochard, 

308. 
receipt  for  gun-ointment,  400. 
Damascus  gun-barrels,  454. 
Decoys,  best  kind,  price  of,  290. 
Deer,  abundant  in  Iowa,  63. 

great  numbers  destroyed,  91. 
Delaware — game  ordinances,  93. 
Woodcock  in,  170. 
good  shooting,  109. 
Snipes  in,  200. 
Willet's  frequent,  254. 
Reed-Birds  on  river,  212. 
Diet  and  Drink — 

effect  of  exercise  on,  497. 
unadulterated  water,  497. 
eat  and  drink  with  moderatiou. 

497. 
avoid  debauch  and  various  liquors, 

497. 
avoid  bad  liquors;  how  to  avoid, 

498. 
water-drinkers,  498. 
Distances  on  the  water  very  deceptive, 

264. 
Doe-bird,  247. 
Dogs,  terms  applicable  to,  40. 

Youatt  on  the,  best  work  on,  43. 
type  of  all  that  is  noble,  44. 
fidelity  of,  44. 

disinterested  attachment  of,  44. 
exalted  above  all  other  animals,  45. 
their  social  position,  45. 
the  associate  of  man,  45. 
guardian  of  his  flocks,  45. 
forgiving  spirit,  45. 


XXVlll 


INDEX. 


Dogs — continued. 

abandonment  of  all  his  race,  45. 

humility,  companionship,  45. 

joy  and  sorrow  of,  45. 

Walter  Scott's  account  of  a,  45. 

how  to  treat,  113. 

feed   them  yourself;  reasons  for, 

114. 
how  to  enter — on  the  field,  115. 
proper  manner  to  hunt,  115. 
half  broken,  young,  and  heedless, 

115. 
good,  young,  old,  116. 
timid,  bold,  116. 
correction  of,  117. 
never  kick  or  shoot,  117. 
act  of  pointing  in,  second  nature, 

118. 
not  to  flush  the  game,  118. 
slrould  find  the  dead  bird,  119. 
should  be  made  to  couch,  119. 
retrievers  difficult  to  train,  119. 
to  make — gentle  with  game,  121. 
should  hunt  up  wounded  or  dead 

game,  121. 
how  to  hunt,  122. 
when — come  to  a  point,  123. 
occasionally  at  fault,  123. 
English  not  equal  to  American,  124. 
accidental  death  of  a,  207. 
to  tell  the  age  of,  509. 
Domery,  Charles,  celebrated  glutton,  464. 
his  wonderful  feats  of  eating,  464. 
Domestic  animals — 

their  attachment  and  forced  sub- 
mission, 46. 
how  different  from  the  dog,  46. 
Down  charge,  41. 
Dubuque,  immense  load  of  game  carried 

into,  63. 
Ducks,  art  of  shooting,  299. 
toling,  274. 

further  instructions  on  shooting, 
301. 
Duck  Island,  experiments  at,  265. 
Duckers,  hints  for,  264. 
Dug-outs,  description  of,  281. 
Dun-birds  of  England,  308. 
Dupont,  gunpowder  made  by,  407. 

composition  and  superiority  of, 
407. 
Dusking,  as  applied  to  Wild-Fowl  shoot- 
ing, 323. 
Dusky  Duck,  (see  Black  Duck),  322. 

E 

East,  Wild  Turkey  not  a  native  of  the, 

136. 
Eating-saloons  encourage  killing  of  game 

out  of  season,  92. 


Edward  III.  uses  gunpowder,  432. 

guns  in  the  reign  of,  434. 
Eggs,  eating  Partridge,  90. 

should  be  discountenanced,  91. 
preserving,  shells,  489. 
Egypt,  Snipe  in,  194. 
Egyptian  Hercules,  430. 
Eley's  patent  cartridge,  380. 
Elizabeth   Island,  Pinnated   Grouse  on, 

159. 
Elk  River- 
immense  drove  of  partridges  en- 
countered in  the  neighborhood 
of,  81. 
their  singular  actions,  82. 
Elizabeth,  Queen,  uses  gunpowder,  432. 

guns  in  the  reign  of,  434. 
England,  efforts  to  introduce  the  Ameri- 
can Partiudge  into,  96. 
Woodcock-shooting  in,  191. 
Land-Rail   or   Corn-Crake   of, 

217. 
Water-Crake   or   Spotted  Rail 

of,  217. 
gun-makers  of,  435. 
guns  imported  from,  439. 
cost  of  guns  imported  from,  439. 
Epicurus,  followers  of,  267. 
Epreuvette,  or  powder-prover,  411. 
Eye,  pupil  of  the,  35. 
seldom  wrong,  62. 
seldom  at  fault,  53. 
how  to  treat  a  wounded,  507. 
Eyre,  J.  M.,  exploits   in   Rail   shooting, 
230. 

F 

Featheks — rump  or  upper  tail-coverts, 

85. 
their    position,   character,    and 

use,  35. 
stronger   in   proportion   to   the 

habits  of  the  bird,  35. 
how  formed  in  the  Woodpecker 

tribe,  35. 
how  formed  in  the  Water-Fowl, 

35. 
acts  as  a  rudder,  35. 
Feathers — vent  or  under  tail  coverts,  35. 
their  position  and  character,  35. 
longer  on  some  Birds  than  others, 

35. 
how  developed  in  the  Rallus  Ca- 

rolinus,  35. 
Feathers — sensation  in,  37. 

delicate    impressions    conveyed 

.  ^y'  ^^-   . 
nice  organization  of,  in  noctur- 
nal birds,  37. 
Feathers,  shedding  of,  38. 


INDEX. 


XXIX 


Feathers — continued. 

accidents  to,  38. 
moulting  of,  38. 
Field,  taking  the,  112. 

verses  descriptive  of  the  sports  of 
the,  112. 
Field  or  Grass  Plover,  257. 
Figure- of-4  trap — 

taking  Partridges  with  a,  90. 
Flasks,  powder,  369, 

various  kinds  of,  in  use,  369. 
caution  in  the  use  of,  369. 
patent,  370. 
Flight,  velocity  of,  265. 

experiments  to  prove  the  velocity 
of,  265. 
Flexure — bend  of  the  wing,  35. 
Florida,  Snipes  in,  197. 

Canvas-backs  in,  272. 
Folly  Island,   numbers    of   Curlew  on, 

245. 
Fontainebleau,  escape  of  a  Falcon  from, 

266. 
Forrester,  Frank — opinion  on  Woodcocks, 
175. 
observations    on    the 
note  of  the  Snipe, 
196. 
Fowler — an  English  writer,  63. 

opinion  of  American  Sporting, 
63. 

how  unjust,  63. 
Fowler,  a  celebrated  Rail-pusher,  227. 
France,  gun-barrels  imported  fi'om,  447. 
Frederick  the  Great  required  little  sleep, 

500. 
Freiburg,  monument  erected  at,  432. 
Frons — forehead,  35, 
Frost  Birds,  250. 
Frozen  Game,  467. 

G 

GaliSrie  des  Oiseaux,  Viellot's,  175. 
Gallinaceous  order,  noise  made  by  the, 

82. 
Galveston  Bay,  Canvas-backs  in,  272. 
Game  of  all  descriptions  abundant,  91. 

recklessly  destroyed,  92. 

illegal  traffic  in,  92, 

ordinances  against  selling,  92. 

ordinances  a  dead  letter,  92. 

hawkers  of,  92. 

their  disregard  of  ordinances,  92. 

predictions  regarding,  104. 

probable  abundance  of,  104. 

probable  scarcity  of,  104. 
Ganges,  the  river,  430, 
Gauge  for  Powder  and  Shot,  381, 

description  of,  381. 
GeesC;  terms  applicable  to,  42, 


Georgia,  Ruffed  Grouse  in,  143. 
Georgia,  Reed-Birds  in,  214, 
German  Jagers,  good  marksmen,  51. 
Germany,  guns  imported  from,  441. 
Giraud — description  of  King  Rail,  235. 
statement  about  Curlew,  245. 
Gilman,  Dr. — 

article  on  venomous  snakes,  74. 
curious  experiments  on  snakes,  74. 
Gloves,  use  of,  363. 

importance  of  wearing,  363. 
Gluttony  among  savages,  463. 
Godman — comments   on   the   migrations 

of  squirrels,  359. 
Good  shooting,  112. 
Good  shot,  48. 
Golden  Plover,  250. 
Goose,  Canada,  329. 

Anas  Canadensis,  329, 
habits  and  haunts,  329, 
great  numbers  killed  by  the  In- 
dians, 330, 
Pennat's     account    of    shooting, 

330, 
easily  domesticated,  331. 
how  killed,  332. 
description,  332. 
Goose,  Snow,  333. 

Anas  hyperborea,  333. 
habits  and  haunts,  333. 
description,  333. 
laughing  or  grinning,  334. 
Gratz,  David — 

White  Partridge  in  his  possession, 
84. 
Grass  or  Field  Plover,  251. 
Greener — comments  on  gun-locks,  405. 
observations  on  loading  guns, 

415. 
remarks  on  brazing  guns,  446. 
Grouse,  terms  applicable  to,  41. 
numbers  killed,  91. 
cooking,  472. 
Grouse,  Pinnated,  156. 

Prairie  Chicken  or  Hen,  156. 
Tetrao  cupido,  156. 
description  of,  157. 
location,  157. 
period  of  pairing,  159. 
tooting  of  the,  159. 
Audubon's  remarks,  159, 
domestication  of.  161, 
flight  of  the,  162. 
feeding  and  roosting,  162, 
time  for  shooting,  163. 
other  varieties,  164, 
Grouse,  Ruffed,  143, 

Pheasant,  143. 
Tetrao  Umbellus,  143. 
locality  and  nomenclature,  143. 
description  of,  144. 


XXX 


INDEX. 


Grouse — continued. 

confounded  with  Prairie  Chicken, 
145, 

their  gradual  destruction,  145. 

incubation  and  drumming,  146. 

their  battles  and  migrations,  147. 

flight  of  the,  148. 

habits,  149. 

their  flesh  poisonous,' 149. 

enemies  of  the,  150. 

their  flesh,  150. 

a  feast  of  English,  151. 

modes  of  shooting,  151. 

treeing,  152. 

shooting,  with  a  setter,  153. 

snares,  etc.,  154. 
Gun- 
selecting  a,  49. 
handling  the,  49. 
nicety  of  shooting  with,  51. 
exploits  with,  51. 
proper  handling  of,  57. 
never  beat  bushes  with,  60. 
cannot  be  too  careful  with,  60. 
importance  of  clean,  386. 
to  clean,  396. 
properly  loading,  414. 
Greener's  remarks  on,  415. 
size  and  bore  of,  416. 
bursting  of,  418. 
experiments  on  recoil,  418. 
recoil  in,  424. 
Commodore  Stockton's  experiments 

on  recoil,  426. 
authors'  views,  427. 
its  various  parts,  433. 
second-rate,  433. 
when  first  invented,  433. 
in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  433. 
in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.,  433. 
in  the  reign  of  Edward  III.,  433. 
made  in  England,  433. 
made  in  Philadelphia,  433. 
made  in  New  York,  433. 
various  parts  of  a,  435. 
Westley  Richards,  celebrated  ma- 
ker of,  439. 
made  in  America,  439. 
made  in  England,  439. 
description  of  an  imported,  439. 
bill  of  a,  imported  from  England, 

440. 
necessity  of  a  good,  440. 
made  in  Germany,  441. 
made  in  New  York,  441. 
made  in  Philadelphia,  442. 
welding  barrels,  443. 
hammer-hardening,  444. 
boring,  444. 
grinding,  445. 
turning,  445. 


Gun — continued. 

brazing  and  breeching,  446. 

Greener's  remarks,  446. 

proving  barrels,  447. 

forgery  of  the  proof-marks,  447. 

Spanish  barrels,  448. 

French  barrels,  448. 

sham-dam  guns,  448. 

park-palings,  448. 

made    for    the    African    market 

448. 
staining  barrels,  449. 
metal  used  in  the  manvifacture,  449. 
materials  from  which  made,  450. 
care    and   labor    bestowed    upon, 

451. 
deceptions  practised,  452. 
spurious,  452. 

wire-twist  for  manufacturing,  453 
Damascus  barrels,  455. 
charcoal  iron,  455. 
other  kinds  of  metal  used,  455. 
wood  for  stocking,  456. 
staining  woods  for  stocking,  456. 
Gunpowder,  discovery  of,  406. 

to  whom  attributed,  406. 
known  to  the  Chinese,  406. 
English,  Scotch,  and  French, 

406. 
Dupont's,  407. 
varieties  of,  407. 
what  kind  preferred,  408. 
anecdote,  408. 
glazed  and  unglazed,  410. 
tests  for,  411. 
epreuvette,       or      powder- 

prover,  411. 
to  preserve  from  moisture^ 

412. 
impure,  413. 
to  dry  damp,  414. 
discovery  and  introduction, 

429. 
well  known  to  the  ancients, 

429. 
remarks  of  Ufi"ano  on,  429. 
use  of,  in  China,  429. 
used  by  King  Vitney,  430. 
referred  to  by  Philostratus, 

430. 
used  by  the  Oxydracse,  430. 
deters  Alexander  the  Great, 

430. 
employed  against  Hercules, 

430. 
employed  against  Bacchus, 

430. 
used  in  India,  430. 
known  to  Friar  Bacon,  430. 
mentioned  in  the  Opus  Ma- 
gus, 430. 


INDEX. 


XXXI 


Gunpowder — continued, 

inquiries  into  the  early  ori- 
gin of,  430. 
known  to  the  Chinese,  431. 
discovery  concealed,  431. 
reasons     for     concealment, 

431. 
discovered      by      Berthold 

Schwarz,  431. 
monument  erected   in  com- 
memoration of,  432. 
used  by  Edward  III.,  432. 
used  by  Henry  VIII.  432. 
used  by  Elizabeth,  432. 
used  in  hand-goune,  432. 
used  in  wheel-lock  goune, 
432. 
Gunsmiths  of  New  York,  441. 

Philadelphia,  441. 
England,  442. 

H 

Hammer  or  cock  of  the  gun,  377. 
Hand-goune — when  invented,  432. 
Hanger's,  General  George,  lotion,  507. 

receipt  for  Sportsman's  beef, 
482. 
Hare,  American,  339. 

Gray  Rabbit,  339. 

Lepus  sylvaticus,  339. 

description,  339. 

locality  and  general  characteristics, 

340. 
not  a  rabbit,  340. 
the  speed  of,  343. 
a  nocturnal  animal,  344. 
food  of,  344. 
flesh  of,  345. 
hunting,  346. 
domestication,  347. 
cry  of  the,  enemies  of  the,  347. 
varieties,  348. 
cooking  the,  483. 
Hares,  terms  applicable  to,  42. 

great  abundance  in  Iowa,  63. 
numbers  destroyed.  91. 
Havre-de-Grace,  Partridges  caught  near, 

88. 
Hawker,  Colonel — 

on  wild-fotvl  shooting,  260. 
comments  on  wild  fowl,  264. 
the  Magnus  Apollo,  313. 
dressing  for  shooting-boots,  393. 
receipt  for  soup,  475. 

cooking  of  wild  fowl, 
477. 
Hawks,  the  quill-feathers  of,  34. 

conflicts  with  Partridges,  72. 
destroy  numbers  of  Partridges, 
103. 


Hawks — continued. 

their  boldness,  103. 
the  alarm  they  occasion,  103. 
prey  upon  Ducks,  104. 
sportsmen  should  kill,  104. 
Heels,  galled,  how  to  treat,  600. 
Hellebore,  Quails  feed  on,  81. 

their  flesh  poisoned  by,  81. 
Hemorrhage,  to  preserve  wounded  bird 
from,  490. 
to  stop  accidental,  508. 
Henry  IV.  of  France — 

a  falcon  belonging  to,  266. 
its  rapid  flight,  266. 
Henry  VIII.— 

Wild  Turkey  introduced    in  the 

reign  of,  137. 
uses  gunpowder,  432. 
guns  used  by,  434. 
Hercules,  Egyptian,  430. 
Hispania,  coasts  of,  devastated,  136. 
Hominum  servatorem,  462. 
Hubbell,  great  number  of  Rail  killed  by, 

231. 
Hygiene — general  remarks,  493. 

atmospheric  vicissitudes,  493. 
caution  to  sportsmen,  493. 
proper  clothing,  493» 
an  ounce  of  precaution,  494. 
"temperance,  joy,  and  repose," 

494. 
hot  tea  and  coffee,  494. 
catarrhs,  rheumatism,  494. 
overheated,  496. 

death  caused  by  imprudence,  495. 
state  of  the  atmosphere,  495. 
malarious  districts,  496. 
precautions  to  be  8.dopted,  496. 
noxious  exhalations,  496. 
diet  and  drink,  496. 
exercise,  perpetual  motion,  497. 
headache  and  malaise,  497. 
pure  water  the  best  drink,  497. 
fondness  for  vinous  liquors,  497. 
avoid  drinking  bad  liquors,  498. 


Illinois,  game-laws  of,  93. 

abundance  of  Grouse  in,  158. 
Indiana,  Grouse  in,  158. 
Indians  regard  with  horror  slaughter  of 
game,  184. 
kill  great  numbers  of  Geese,  330, 
Iowa,  abundance  of  game  in,  63. 

Partridges  in,  63. 
Prairie  Chickens,  63 
Hares,  63. 
Deer,  63. 
Wolves,  63. 
Bears.  63. 


xxxu 


INDEX. 


Iowa — continued. 

great  numbers  of  Partridges  killed 

in,  89. 
great  numbers  of  Partridges  netted 
in,  89. 
Ireland,  Woodcock  in,  190. 
Italia — her  coasts  devastated,  136. 
Iris  irides  of  birds,  35. 


Jack-Frost  nips  vegetation,  62. 

Jack  Curlew,  247. 

Jamaica,  Reed-Birds  in,  214. 

Japan,  Snipes  in,  194. 

Jersey,  Ruffed  Grouse  in  pines  of,  148. 

Johnson,  Dr. — remarks  on  cooking,  459. 


K 

Kalmia  Clauca,  77. 

marsh  laurel,  77. 
Grouse  and  Partridges  feed  on,  77. 
animals  feed  on,  78. 
Kalmia  Latifolia,  77. 

mountain  laurel,  77. 
Grouse  and  Partridges  feed  on,  77. 
animals  feed  on,  78. 
Ruffed  Grouse  feed  on,  149. 
author's  comments  on,  150. 
Keel-boatmen  of  America,  51. 

their  exploits  with  the  rifle,  51. 
snuffing  the  candle,  51. 
driving  the  nail,  51. 
Kentucky,  Ruffed  Grouse  in,  143. 

Pinnated  Grouse  in,  158. 
Keokuk,  numbers  of  Partridges   about, 
110. 
cooped  and  sent  to  New  Or- 
leans, 110. 
Kill-deer  Plover,  251. 
Killing  clean,  importance  of,  64. 

what  distance  in,  65. 
for  humanity's  sake,  65. 
verses  in  support  of,  65. 
King-snake — curious  experiments,  74. 

their  wonderful  endowments,  75. 
Kitchener,  Dr.,  on  the  pleasures  of  the 

table,  465. 
Knife,  sporting,  proper  kind,  884. 


Lake  Ontario,  Reed-Birds  about,  211. 
Laurel,  mountain,  (see  Kalmia  Latifolia,) 

77. 
Laws,  game,  mere  bagatelle,  178. 
Leading  of  barrels,  398. 
how  freed,  399. 


Lee,  Mrs.,  directions  for  mounting  birds. 
486. 
her  work  on  Taxidermy,  488. 
Legislative  enactments  as  to  killing  game, 

93. 
Lepus  cuniculus,  339. 
sylvaticus,  330. 
Lesser  coverts — situation  and  character, 

34. 
Levy,  W.  W. — celebrated  duck-shooter, 
285. 
his  draft  of  a  battery,  2&1. 
Lewis,  E. — Snipe's  nest  on  his  estate,  198. 
Liquors,  bad,  to  be  avoided,  498. 
Locks  of  a  gun,  404. 

importance  of  good,  405. 
Greener's  remarks  on,  405. 
Long-billed  Curlew,  246. 
Long  Island,  Pinnated  Grouse  on,  169. 
Loral  space,  35. 
Louisiana,  Pinnated  Grouse  in,  158. 

Reed-Birds,  210. 
Louis  Eustache  Ude — comments  on  cook- 
ery, 465. 
Lynx — attack  on  Wild  Turkeys,  141. 
Lyon's,  Captain — 

views  on  the  ventriloquism  of  the 
Arctic  Fox,  222. 

M 

Magnus  ApotLO — 

Colonel  Hawker  the,  313. 
Magnus  Coquus  of  the  ancients,  462. 
Maine,  Grouse  met  with  in,  164. 
Mallard  or  Wild  Drake,  314. 

Anas  Boschus — habits  and  haunts, 
314. 

parent  stock  of  tame  Duck,  314. 

description,  315. 

in  the  ricefields,  316. 

on  the  Delaware,  316. 

in  England,  316. 

decoy-ponds  for  netting,  316. 
Malta,  Falcon  captured  at,  266. 
Mandibles,  upper  and  lower,  35. 
Martha's  Vineyard,  Pinnated  Grouse  on, 

159. 
Massachusetts,  Grouse  found  in,  164. 
Maxillae,  superior  and  inferior,  35. 
Mayo,  Dr. — remarks  on  cooking,  459. 
Measurement  of  bii'ds,  36. 
Mediterranean,  Turkish  cruisers  in,  136. 
Meleagris  Gallopavo — wild  Turkey,  126. 
Mentum,  the  chin,  36, 
Mexicans,  Wild  Turkey  domesticotcd  by 

the,  138. 
Migrations  of  Partridges,  81. 
causes  of  their,  82. 
singular  actions  during  their, 


INDEX. 


XXXlll 


Millochau,  Adolphe,  gun-oil  of,  400. 
Mississippi  River,  Ruflfed  Grouse  on  the 

ranges  of  the,  143. 
Moon — eiTects  on  the  tides,  228. 

Rails   feed  at  the  full   of   the, 
228. 
Moulting  of  birds,  38. 

wise  provision  of  nature,  38. 
change  in  the  plumage,  38. 
protection  from  enemies,  38. 
in  quadrupeds,  38. 
cold  modified  by,  38. 
gradual  in  birds,  39. 
time  of,  39. 
in  water-fowl,  39. 
in  birds  than  incubate  far  north, 
39. 
Mordecai,  Captain,  39. 

experiments  and  observations  on 
poAvder,  413. 
Moscow,  frozen  markets  of,  467. 
Mount   Holly,    Partridges    shot  in    the 

neighborhood  of,  78. 
Mud  Creek — ^good  Snipe-ground,  63. 
Markets  in  reign  of   Queen  Elizabeth, 

435. 
Mud  Hen,  237. 


N 


500. 
studying, 


Napoltjon  required  little  sleep, 
Natural  History,  importance  of 

85. 
Nipple  or  pivot  of  the  gun,  376. 

wrench  for,  383. 
Nooses  of  horse-hair,  90. 

fcv  taking  game,  90. 
Norton,  Robert,  429. 
North  Carolina — 

driving  Partridges  as  practised  in, 
94. 
New  Jersey — 

game-ordinances  of,  93. 
numbers  of  Ruflfed  Grouse  in,  145. 
Woodcock  in,  170. 
Snipes  in,  197. 
Willets  frequent,  254. 
New  Orleans,  Canvas-backs  about,  272. 
Netting  Ducks,  280. 
I'artridges, 
New  York  Ruffed  Grouse,  145. 
gun-makers  of,  435. 

0 

Occiput — back  of  the  head,  35. 
Old  World,  batteries  of  the,  79. 

Quails  of  the,  89. 
Opus  Magus  of  Bacon,  430. 
Ordinance  against  selling  game,  93. 
Ornithologists,  terms  used  by,  33. 


2i 


Ornithologists   who    have     graced    this 

country,  67. 
Ornithology,  technical  terms  the  A  B  C 

of,  33. 

this  information  easily  acquired, 
34. 
Orismology,  sporting  terms  a  branch  of, 

40. 
Owls,  sensation  of  feathers  in,  38. 
Oxydracse,  430. 


Panthers — numbers  destroyed,  91. 
Partridge,  the  springing  of,  49. 

vigorous  flight  of,  52. 

when  flushed,  57. 

flies  with  amazing  velocity,  57. 

flight  compared  with  English, 
57. 

great  abundance  of,  in  Iowa, 
63. 
Partridge,  Perdix  Virginianus,  66. 

verses  descriptive  of,  66. 

their  abundance,  locality,  no- 
menclature, 66. 

description,  habits,  67. 

perching  on  trees,  68. 

not  strictly  migratory,  68. 

running  season,  68. 

during  winter  at  the  North,  68. 

catching  in  nets,  traps,  &c.,  69. 

period  of  pairing,  69. 

building  their  nests,  70. 

number  of  eggs,  70. 

fecundity  of  English,  70. 

period  of  incubation,  70. 

the  young,  71. 

strictly  monogamous,  71. 

leaving  the  nest,  71. 

solicitude  of  the  hen,  72. 

artifices  of  the  cock,  72. 

conflicts  with  hawks,  serpents, 
&c.,  72. 

domestication  of,  74. 

two  broods,  74. 

author's  opinion  of,  75. 

call  of  the,  75. 

actions  of  young,  76. 

roosting,  76. 

food,  77. 

shot  on  Tapahannock  marshes, 
78. 

English,  compared  with  Ame- 
rican, 79. 

not  a  Quail,  80. 

how  it  differs  from  the  Quail, 
•80. 

running  season  of  the,  81. 

immense  droves,  81. 

singular  actions,  81. 


XXXIV 


INDEX. 


Partridge — continued. 

cause  of  these  migrations,  82. 
flight  of — whirring  noise,  82. 
flight  of  English,  83. 
change  in  color  of  plumage, 

83. 
"white  or  pied,  82. 
remarkable,  in  possession  of 

author,  84. 
hints  on  hunting,  87. 
formed  into  coveys,  88. 
time  for  killing,  88. 
taken  in  traps,  88. 
abundant  in  Iowa,  89. 
nooses  of  horse-hair  to  catch, 

90. 
eating  eggs  of,  90. 
numbers   destroyed  in    1855 

and  '56,  91. 
game-ordinances  disregarded, 

92. 
whistle  of  the,  94. 
driving   into  nets,  94. 
eff'orts  to  introduce  into  Eng- 
land, 96. 
actions  of  old  and  young,  97. 
best  to  break  dogs  on,  97. 
retaining  scent,  98. 
enemies  of,  102. 
probable  abundance  or  scarcity 

of,  104. 
haunts  of,  104. 
where  to  find,  105. 
dry  and  warm  weather,  105. 
wet  and   boisterous  weather, 

105. 
further  hints  on  hunting,  107. 
early  dawn — at  noon,  107. 
when  they  feed,  107. 
before    leaving    their    roost, 

108. 
seldom  roost  in  same  place, 

108. 
during  snow,  109. 
Parti'idges — 

shooting  in  Delaware,  109. 

Virginia,  110. 
season  of  1851  and  '52,  110. 
numbers  in  vicinity  of  Keokuk, 

110. 
numbers  taken  in  nets,  110. 
Phillips,  Clem.  T.,  kills  sixty-one, 

111. 
good  shooting,  112. 
Frank  Forrester's  opinion  of  diffi- 
culty of  killing  American,  112. 
taking  the  field,  112. 
how  to  act  when  hunting,  115. 
wounded  birds,  121. 
most  difl&cult  of  all  birds  to  shoot, 
121. 


Partridges — continued 

frequently    give   forth   no    scent, 

121. 
to  split  and  broil,  471 
Pectus — the  breast,  36. 
Pennet's,  Mr.,  account  of  shooting  Geese, 

330. 
Percussion  caps,  373. 

how  made,  best  kind,  373. 
substitute  for,  375. 
Perdix  Virginianus,  (see  Partridge,)  66. 
Pharaohs,  Snipe   in  the   country  of  the, 

194. 
Pheasant,  or  Rufi"ed  Grouse,  143. 
Philadelphia,  game  hawked  about,  92. 

contrary  to  municipal  ordinances, 

92. 
gun-makers  of,  435,  441. 
Phillips,  Clem.  T.— 

kills  sixty-one  birds,  111. 
Pigeon,  killing  with  a  rifle,  50. 
exploits  in  shooting,  51. 
Pike,  celebrated  Rail-pusher,  227. 
Plover,  Golden — 

Charadrius  pluviales,  250. 
habits,  food,  250. 
how  best  killed,  251. 
description,  251. 
Plover,  Black-bellied,  248. 

Bull  or  beetle-headed,  249. 
Grass  or  Field,  251. 
Piping,  251. 
terras  applicable  to,  41. 
Poking  shot  not  to  be  admired,  61. 
Porter's,  William  T.,  account  of  Squirrels, 

360. 
Potatoes  a  la  Maitre  d'Hotel,  480. 
Pot-hunter — a  despicable  fellow,  86. 

how  to  act  in  company  with  a, 
87. 
Potterer,  or  poking-shot,  51. 
Powder-flasks,  369. 
prover,  411. 
Powers,  N.,  of  Iowa — 

load  of  game  collected  by,  63. 
Prairie  Chicken,  (see  Grouse.) 
Prescott  refers  to  the  Wild  Turkey  in  his 

"Conquest  of  Mexico,"  138. 
Primaries,  large  quill-feathers,  34. 
their  position  and  use,  34. 
peculiarly     constructed     in     the 
Hawk,  34. 
Pugh,  English  artist,  anecdote  of,  85. 

Q 

Quadrupeds,  change  of  pelage  in,  38. 
Quail  not  a  Partridge,  80. 

diff"erent  in  habits,  80. 
flesh,  80. 

is  polygamous,  80. 


INDEX. 


XXXV 


Quail — conimued. 

a  migratory  bird,  80. 

trail  at  night,  81. 

employed  in  combat,  81. 

not  esteemed  as  food,  81 

assemble  in  innumerable  bodies,  89. 

killed  in  immense  numbers,  89. 

people  surfeited  with,  89. 
Quail  Snipe,  256. 

E 

Rabbit,  Gray,  (see  Hare.) 

Rail  or  Sora,  Rallus  Carolinus,  217. 

description,  nomenclature,  217. 
history,  &c.,  218. 
singular  charactei'istics,  221. 
Rail,  their  food  and  resorts,  222. 
shooting,  224. 

paraphernalia  for  shooting,  227. 
pushers  for  shooting,  227. 
tides,  228. 
numbers  killed,  230. 
shooting  in  Virginia,  231. 
fire-shooting,  231. 
netting,  232. 
fish  prey  upon,  232. 
where  to  shoot,  232. 
expense  of  shooting,  233. 
terms  applicable  to,  42. 
cooking,  474. 

vent-feathers  large  in  the,  35. 
Rallus  Crepitans — 

Clapper  Rail  or  Mud  Hen,  237. 
nomenclature  and  locality,  237. 
period  of  incubation,  238. 
where  killed,  239. 
Rallus  Elegans — Great  Red-breasted  Rail, 
235. 
King    Rail,    Fresh-water    Marsh 

Hen,  235. 
description,  235. 
history,  habits,  and  haunts,  236. 
Raspail,  Monsieur — 

theory  of  serpent-charming,  74. 
Rattlesnake,  curious   experiments  with, 

73. 
Reed-Bird— Rice-Bunting,  210. 
Emberiza  Oryzivora,  210. 
history  and  nomenclature,  210. 
description,  211. 
migrations—their  feeding-gtounds, 

211. 
shooting,  212. 
netting,  213. 
compared  with  Ortolan  of  Europe, 

213. 
anecdote,  213. 
progress  south,  214. 
curious  facts,  215. 
as  a  cage-bird,  215.  I 


Reed-Bird — continued. 

change  of  plumage,  216. 
terms  applicable  to,  42. 
cooking,  474. 
Red-headed  Duck,  308. 
Red-head,  308. 
Anas  ferina,  308. 
habits  and  haunts,  308. 
Red-headed  Widgeon  of  England, 
308. 
Register,  extract  from  a  friend's  shoot- 
ing, 112. 
Retriever — how  trained,  119. 

difficulty  of  training  a,  119. 
good  ones  very  scarce,  119. 
author's  views  of,  119. 
Rice-Bunting,  (see  Reed-Bird,)  210. 
Richards,  Westley,  gun-maker,  439. 

bill  of  a  gun  purchased  of,  440. 
Rifle,  shooting  with  a,  50. 

exploits  of  the  Toomers  with,  50. 
killing  Pigeons  with,  50. 
striking  cricket-balls  with,  50. 
exploits  of  our  backwoodsmen  with, 

50. 
German  jagers  \ise,  51. 
killing  Squirrels  with,  51. 

Wild  Turkeys  with,  51. 
exploits  of  keel-boatmen  with,  51. 
driving  the  nail  with,  51. 
snuffing  the  candle  with,  51. 
shooting  apples  from  the  head  with, 
51. 
Ring-Plover,  251. 
Rock  Island — 

numbers  of  Partridges  on,  110. 
Rocky  Mountains — 

Canvas-back  on  the  streams  of 
the,  270. 
Romans,  festive  boards  of  the,  464. 
Rufi'ed  Grouse,  (see  Grouse.) 
Rumford,  Count — comments  on  cooking, 

458. 
Rump,  Bill,  celebrated  Rail-pusher,  227. 
Russia,  Snipe  in,  195. 
Rusting,  to  prevent,  of  barrels,  899. 
how  to  remove,  399. 

s 

Sabgeant,  Dr.  R.  Percy — 

observation    on    habits    of  Wild 

Turkey,  130. 
further  observation,  140. 
Sauces  or  gravies,  479. 
Savages — their  gluttony,  463. 
Scapulars,  shoulder-feathers,  34. 
Schwarz,    Berthold,    discoverer  of  gun- 
powder, 406. 
invention  of  gunpowder  attri- 
buted to,  431. 


XXXVl 


INDEX. 


Schwarz,  Berthold — continued. 

monument    erected    at    Frei- 
burg to,  432. 
Scientia  popinse,  462. 
Sciurus  Migratorius,  (see  Squirrel.) 
Season  of  1865  and  '56— 

particularly  destructive  to  game, 

91. 
numbers  of  birds  as  well  as  ani- 
mals destroyed  in  consequence 
of  the  snow  during,  91. 
Secondaries,  second  quill-feathers,  34. 
Serpents,  conflicts  with  Partridges,  72. 
charming  birds,  73. 
popular  fallacy,  73. 
Dr.  Gilman's  experiments  with, 

73. 
venomous,  73. 
King,  73. 

Raspail's  theory,  74. 
Setters — early  in  the  season,  113. 

suffer  for  want  of  water,  113. 
Shoemaker,  Dr. — 

cases     of    poisoning    by    eating 

Grouse,  78. 
remedies  used  by,  78. 
Shooting,  art  of,  on  the  wing,  47. 
soon  acquired,  47. 
first  grand  desideratum,  47. 
nicety  in,  50. 

carried  to  great  perfection,  50. 
exploits  of  Richard  and  Edward 

Toomer,  50. 
particular  instructions  for,  52. 
when  the  bird  should  be  killed, 

63. 
in  thickets,  54. 
be  cool,  when,  54. 
requires  patience  and  practice, 

54. 
when  the  bird  is  crossing,  58. 
too  low — too  high,  59. 
both  eyes  open,  60. 
in  America  different  from  that 
of  England,  62. 
Shore-birds,  terms  applicable  to,  42. 
Short,  Dr. — exploits  among  the  Snipe,  63. 
Shot-bags,  shot-pouches,  372. 

most  suitable  kind,  372. 
Siberia,  Snipe  in,  194. 
Sickle-bill,  (see  Curlew.) 
Sink,  (see  Battery.) 

Skinner,   J.  S. — comments   on  food  of 
Partridges,  77. 
account  of  good  shooting,  111. 
fanciful  notion  of  the  feeding  of 

Woodcocks,  172. 
comments  on  ambition  of  killing 

for  quantity,  183. 
reprobates   this    cruel    ambition, 
184. 


SkipAvith,  Mr. — 

captures  Sora  Rails  at  Sea,  220 
Sleep — how  necessary,  499. 

should  be  moderate,  499. 

less  sleep  in  warm  weather,  499, 

some  require  more  than  others, 

499. 
Napoleon  required  little,  499. 
Frederick     the    Great    required 
little,  499. 
Smith,  Dr.,  interesting  letter  of,  98. 

his  views  of  Partridges  retaining 

scent,  98. 
subject  fully  discussed,  98. 
Smyrna,  British  cruisers  visited,  137 
Snap-shot,  when  most  successful,  60. 
a  disagreeable  companion,  61. 
shooting  with  both  eyes  open,  61. 
Snipe — terms  applicable,  41. 

sudden  and  irregular  flight  of,  40. 
zigzag  flight  of  the,  62. 
abundant    on    borders    of    Mud 

Creek,  63, 
white,  84. 
Snipe,  194. 

Scolopax  Wilsonii,  194. 
Scolopax  gallinago,  194. 
Wilson's  Snipe,  194. 
English  Snipe,  194. 
widely  disseminated,  194. 
varieties,  195. 

why  called  Wilson's  Snipe,  195. 
resembles    the    English    vra-iety. 

195. 
description,  196. 
location  and  food,  197. 
incubation,  young  brood,  199. 
return  to  the  South,  199. 
restless  spirit,  200. 
perception  of  cold,  200. 
voracious  feeders,  201. 
seldom  found  in  the  woods,  201. 
difiicult  to  shoot,  201. 
shooting  anecdote,  204. 
during  rainy  weather,  206. 
dogs  for  hunting,  206. 
fly  against  the  wind.  207. 
advantages  of  shooting,  208. 
white  or  pied,  208. 
cooking,  472. 
Snipe,  Red-breasted,  256. 

Scolopax  Noveboracensis,  256. 
Quail  Snipe,  256. 
habits  and  haunts,  256. 
flesh  and  food,  256. 
how  and  when  killed,  256. 
description,  257. 
Snow,  heavy  fall  of,  91. 

its  fearful  consequences,  92. 
Sora,  (see  Rail.) 
Sore  throat,  how  to  treat  a,  508 . 


INDEX. 


XXXVU 


Spain — 

introduction  of  Wild  Turkey  from, 
137. 

gun-barrels  imported  from,  447. 
Spaniels,  terms  applicable  to,  40. 

verses  in  memory  of  a,  192. 
Sporting,  terms  used  in,  40. 

general  ignorance  of  these  terms, 
40. 

easily  acquired,  40. 

writers  on,  40. 
Sportsmen — 

should  be  careful  of  birds  in  win- 
ter, 69. 

hints  to,  87. 

practical  observations  for,  88. 

should  keep  cool,  105. 

during  rainy  weather,  105. 

should  not  be  too  eager,  107. 

should  refresh  themselves,  118. 

directions  for,  to  hunt  dogs,  118. 

should  flush  the  game,  118, 
Sportsman's  Beef,  how  made,  481. 
Sprain,  how  to  be  treated,  504. 
Sprigtail,  324. 

Pintail,  324. 

Anas  acuta,  324. 

handsome  duck,  324. 

habits  and  haunts,  324. 

abundant  in  England,  324 

description,  324. 
Spring  Cramp — how  used,  381. 
Squirrels,  350, 

varieties,  habits,  locality,  351. 

general  characteristics,  351. 

activity  and  strength,  353. 

captivity  of,  354. 

other  characteristics,  355. 

enemies  of,  shooting,  356. 

Bai-king,  flesh  of,  357. 
Squirrel,  Gray,  358. 

migratory,  358. 

dimensions,  locality,  358. 

habits  and  migrations,  359. 

cooking,  484. 
Staley,    Andrew,    shooting   in   company 

with,  130. 
Stirley,  John,  White  Snipe  in  possession 

of,  208. 
Stock,  gun,  shape  of,  402. 

various  styles  of,  403. 
Stockton,  H.  H.,  remarkable   Partridge 

shot  by,  84. 
Stockton,  Commodore — 

experiments  on  bursting  of  guns, 
418. 
recoil     of    guns, 
418,  424. 
Stockings,  shooting,  396. 
St.  Ildephonso — 

Woodcocks  feeding  in  aviary  of,  173. 


St.    Lawrence    River,    Reed-Birds     on. 

211. 
St.  Louis,  gaiau  shipped  from,  110. 
St.  Petersburg — frozen  markets,  467. 
Striker  of  a  gun,  377. 
Stone  Curlew,  (see  Willet.) 
Summer  Duck,  326. 

Anas  sponsa,  326. 

Wood  Duck,  326. 

beautiful  fowl,  326. 

delights  in  the  small  streams,  326 

description,  327. 
Surface-boat,  (see  Battery.) 
Swallows,  the  primary  feathers  in,  34. 
shooting,  a  mere  knack,  50. 
Swan,  American,  337. 

Cygnus  American,  337. 
Swan,  Trumpeter,  337. 

Cygnus  bucinator,  337. 

habits,  haunts,  337. 

easily  domesticated,  333. 
Swans,  a  whiteness  of,  42. 
Sweden,  Snipes  in,  195. 
Sykes,  Mr. — ^patent  powder-fiask,  370. 


Tapahannock  makshes — 

Partridges  shot  on,  78. 
Tarsi,  shanks  of  the  legs,  35. 
Taxidermy — 

art  of  preserving  and  mounting 

birds,  484. 
directions  for  skinning  birds,  485. 
Lee,  Mrs.,  work  on,  4l8. 
Brown,  Captain,  work  on,  488. 
preserving  egg-shellH,  489. 
Teal,  Blue-winged,  317. 
Anas  discors,  317. 
habits  and  haunts,  317. 
their  food,  318. 
how  best  cooked,  318. 
description,  318. 
Teal,  Green-Avinged,  319. 
Anas  crecca,  319. 
habits  and  characteristics,  319. 
Telltale  Snipe,  258. 
Godwit,  258. 

Greater  Yellow-shanks,  258. 
Scolopax  vociferus,  258. 
Tennessee — 

RuflFed    Grouse    in    barrens    of, 

143. 
Pinnated   Grouse   in  barrens    of, 
143. 
Tertiary,  third  quill-feathers,  34. 

their  position  and  character,  34. 
Tetrao  umbellus,  143. 
cupido,  156. 
Canadensis,  164. 
saliceti,  164. 


XXXVIU 


INDEX. 


Tezcucan  monarchs — 

consumed  large  numbers  of  Tur- 
keys, 138. 
Thorpe,  T.  B.,  Woodcock  fire-hunting  by, 

188. 
Tibia,  thigh-bone,  35. 
Toomer,    Richard     and    Edward — their 
wonderful    exploits   with    gun   and 
rifle,  50. 
Turkey,  Wild,  126. 

Meleagris  gallipavo,  126. 

description,  127. 

natural  history  of,  129. 

in  former  times,  129. 

their  near  extinction,  129. 

found  in  Virginia,  130. 

found  in  other  States,  130. 

Dr.  Sargent's  remarks  on,  130. 

neighborhood  of  Natchez,  131. 

incubation,  131. 

very  salacious,  their  conflicts,  131. 

Audubon's  comments,  131. 

preparing  the  nest,  132. 

Dr.  Sargent's  remarks,  132. 

the  action  of  the  hen,  132. 

conceal  their  eggs,  182. 

number  of  eggs,  133. 

young  brood,  133. 

their  future  life,  134. 

but  one  brood,  134. 

condition  of  the  males,  134. 

food  of  the,  134. 

their     introduction    into     Spain, 
137. 

their  introduction   into  England, 
137. 

why  called  Turkey,  137. 

a  valuable  fowl,  137. 

Buff"on  on  the  origin,  138. 

referred  to  by  Prescott,  138. 

domesticated  by  the  Aztecs,  138. 

consumed  by  the  Tezcucan  mon- 
archs, 138. 

trapping,  138. 

shooting,  139. 

good  dog  for  hunting,  140. 

run  with  amazing  celerity,  140. 

easily  killed,  140. 

when  roosting,  140. 

Dr.  Sargent's  remarks,  140. 

decoying,  140. 

enemies  of,  141. 
Turks,  a  band  of  pirates,  136. 

tufts  of  hair  worn  by  the,  137. 

u 

Ude,  Louis  Eustache — 

on  the  pleasures  of  the  table,  465. 
UflFano — remarks   on    the   use   of   gun- 
powder, 429. 


Valisineria  Americana — 

Venison  soup,  how  made,  481. 

Viellot,    statement    of,    respecting    the 

habit  of  Woodcocks  carrying  their 

young  on  their  back,  175. 
Virginia,  Partridge-shooting  in,  110. 

Wild  Turkey  in,  130. 
Vitellius,  feast  given  by,  464. 
Vitney,  King  of  China,  uses  cannon,  4'60. 

W 

Wadding  or  Wads,  various  kinds,  365. 

caution  as  to  use  of  patent,  806. 

with  anointed  edges,  868. 

felt  and  paper,  368. 
Walker's  percussion  caps,  875. 

their  superiority,  375. 
Walter  Scott — account  of  a  faithful  dog, 

45. 
Walton,  Sir  Isaac,  followers  of,  326. 
Washer,  or  washing-rod,  369. 
Wetherill,  George  D. — 

Partridges  presented  by,  74. 

large  bird  shot  by,  78. 

large  Woodcock  in  possession  of, 
169. 
West  Indies,  Reed-Bird  in,  214. 

Snipe  in,  194. 
Western  Hemisphere — 

Wild  Turkey  indigenous  to,  136. 
Wheel-lock  goune  invented,  432. 
Whewer,  Whim,  or  Widgeon  of  England, 

312. 
Whimbrel,  Scolopax  phsepus  of  England, 

244. 
Whistling  Plover,  Charadrius  opricarius, 

248. 
White  thickening,  479. 
Widgeon,  Anas  Americana,  311. 

Bald-pates,  311. 

companion   of    the   Canvas-back, 
311. 

not  inferior  in  flavor,  311. 

locality,  311. 

description,  312. 

resembles   the  English  Widgeon, 
312. 

how  pursued  in  England,  313. 

easily  domesticated,  313. 

at  the  North  and  South,  313. 
Wild  Fowl  and  Wild-fowl  shooting, 

peculiar  construction  of  the  rump 
feathers  of,  35. 

terms  applicable  to,  42. 

a  flock  of — a  couple  of,  42. 

a  team  of — a  badelynge  of,  42. 

how  pursued  in  America,  259. 

no  childs'  sport,  259. 


INDEX. 


XXXIX 


Wild  Fowl  and  Wild-fowl  shooting- 
paraphernalia  necessary  for,  260. 
use  of  liquor  in,  260. 
present  and  future  numbers  of, 

on  Chesapeake  Bay,  305. 
cooking,  476. 
Wild  celery,  food  of  the  Canvas-back,  270. 
Wild  Drake,  (see  Mallard.) 
Willet — Scolopax  semipalmata,  253. 

Semipalmated  Snipe,    or    Stone 

Curlew,  253. 
habits  and  haunts,  258. 
not  known  in  England,  254. 
period  and  place  of  incubation, 

254. 
their  food,  254. 
character  of  their  flesh,  254. 
description,  255. 
affection  for  each  other,  255. 
Willow  Grouse,  164. 

Wilson's  anecdote  of  Ruffed  Grouse,  146. 
Snipe,  Scolopax  Wilsonii,  194. 
Plover,  251. 
Winniwarter  and  Gersheim  of  Vienna — 
their    substitute    for    percussion 
caps,  375. 
Wing,  bastard,  description  of,  34. 
lesser  coverts  of  the,  34. 
greater  coverts  of  the,  34. 
to  stop  the  hemorrhage  of,  490. 
to  pinion  or  amputate  a  wounded, 
491. 
Wisconsin — 

abundance  of  game  in,  64. 
Venison  in,  64. 
Prairie  Chickens  in,  64. 
Pheasants,   Partridges,  and  Wild 

Turkeys  in,  64. 
immense  shipment  of  game  from, 
64. 
Wolves  abundant  in  Iowa,  63. 

great  numbers  destroyed,  91. 
Woodcock — 

terms  applicable  to,  41. 
startling  flight  of  the,  52. 
cooking,  472. 
Woodcock — Scolopax  minor,  166. 

attractive  to  the  sportsman,  167. 


Woodcock — continued. 

nomenclature,  168. 

description,  168. 

compared  with  the  English  variety, 
168. 

height,  one  species,  168. 

habits,  migrations,  170. 

formation  of  the  head,  170. 

imperfect  vision,  170. 

feeding  and  food,  171, 

vulgar  notion,  172. 

as  seen  in  the  aviary  of  St.  Ilde- 
phonso,  173. 

incubation,  174. 

singular  manoeuvres,  175. 

carrying  their  young — two  broods, 
175. 

proper  time  for  shooting,  176. 

game-laws  on  the  subject,  177. 

ingenuity  to  conceal  their  young,, 
180. 

resorts  of,  182. 

foolish  ambition  of  killing,  183. 

disappearance  of,  185. 

flight  of,  187. 

fire-hunting,  description  of,  187 

nets  and  snares  to  take,  189. 

dogs  for  shooting,  190. 

shooting  in  England,  191. 

bells  used  for  hunting,  191. 
Woodpecker — 

peculiar  formation  of  the  rump- 
feathers  of,  34. 
Wrench,  nipple  or  pivot,  383. 

description  and  best  kind,  383 


Yellow-Shanks  Snipe — 

Scolopax  flavipes,  258. 

Youatt's  work  on  the  Dog,  43. 

great  celebrity  as  a  writer,  44. 
work  beautifully  illustrated,  44 
edited  by  the  author,  44. 


ZlZANLA.  AQUATICA,  222. 


CHAPTER   I. 


EXPOSITION   OF   THE   TECHNICAL   TERMS    USED    BY   ORNITHOLOGISTS. 


*  .v-jB-s^.-g-^,>-^.      ITHOUT  a  cursory  knowledge,  at  least,  of 

^  \l ' W^i^V^i'"'^      ^^®   technical   terms   employed   by  Orni- 
Wv  Kmjfki^^  m^-    ^^^^ogists   in    their    delineations    of    the 
'*     r^^)^Bmi\m^^  feathered  race,  we  cannot  expect  all  our 
readers  to  understand  or  appreciate  the 
scientific   descriptions  which  we  have  in- 
serted of  the  game-birds  of  our  country; 
it  therefore  appears  to  us  that  we  cannot 
do  better  than  devote  the  first  few  pages 
of  this  volume  to  the  full  elucidation  of 
these  appellatives,  which,  in  fact,  are  the  A  B  C  of  Ornithology, 

the  Alpha  and  Omega  of  the  branch. 

8  33 


34  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

This  information,  so  important  to  the  intelligent  sportsman, 
can  be  easily  and  quickly  acquired  by  reference  to  the  accom- 
panying drawing,  in  connection  with  the  explanations  following 
immediately  after. 

1,  Aurieulars,  the  ear  coverts. — The  soft  feathers  that  cover 
the  organs  of  hearing. 

2,  2.  The  bastard  wing,  consisting  of  three  or  five  feathers, 
resembling  the  quills  of  the  true  wing;  they  are  placed  on  a 
small  bone  rising  from  the  wrist-joint  of  the  wing.  The  bastard 
wing  assists  in  flight  by  keeping  the  wing  from  turning  upwards, 
and  contracts  the  points  of  the  wing  in  a  downward  and  backward 
position  to  that  of  the  course  of  the  bird  through  the  air. 

3,  3.  The  lesser  coverts  of  the  wings. — These  are  the  feathers 
which  are  found  in  successive  rows  upon  the  wings;  those  on 
the  inside  are  termed  under  coverts,  and  are  much  less  regarded 
by  ornithologists  as  a  means  of  distinction  than  the  others. 

4,  4.  The  greater  coverts. — The  wing  feathers  lying  under  the 
lesser  coverts;  they  are  much  larger  and  stronger  than  the  latter. 

5,  5.  The  primaries. — Large  quill  feathers  taking  their  growth 
from  below  the  wrist-joint.  The  length  and  proportion  of  the 
feathers  control,  in  a  wide  degree,  the  movements  of  the  bird  in 
the  air.  The  nearer  the  longer  primary  quill  approaches  the 
body,  the  more  dexterous  and  beautiful  will  be  the  motion  of 
the  bird  when  on  the  wing.  The  Hawks,  Swallows,  and  various 
other  birds  of  rapid  flight,  that  seize  their  prey  in  mid  air, 
have  the  longest  primary  feather  very  near  the  body,  and  con- 
sequently are  enabled  to  turn  and  twist  themselves  with  great 
facility. 

6,  6.  The  secondaries,  or  second  quill  feathers,  spring  from  the 
second  bone  of  the  wing.  When  the  wing  is  extended,  they  fre- 
quently appear  like  a  continuation  of  the  primaries. 

7,  7.  The  tertiary,  or  third  quill  feathers,  also  arise  from  the 
second  bone,  but  much  nearer  the  elbow-joint. 

8,  8.  The  scapulars,  or  shoulder  feathers,  are  formed  by  the 
soft  and  downy  feathers  that  cover  the  shoulder-bones,  and  are 


TECHNICAL    TERMS.  35 

serviceable  only  as  a  protection  to  the  parts  which  they  sur- 
round; they  unite  without  any  regularity  with  the  plumage  of 
the  back  and  wings. 

9.  The  rump  feathers  and  upper-tail  coverts. — These  feathers 
are  the  continuation  of  the  covering  of  the  back,  and  are  strong 
in  proportion  to  the  peculiar  habits  of  the  bird.  In  the  Wood- 
pecker tribe,  for  instance,  these  feathers  are  very  strong  and 
unusually  long,  as  they  make  constant  use  of  the  tail  as  a 
support  and  aid  when  climbing  the  trunks  of  trees;  and  so 
it  is  with  some  water-fowl  not  webfooted,  but  obliged  frequently 
to  take  flight  from  the  water.  The  tail  feathers  in  these  last- 
mentioned  birds  afford  the  greatest  assistance  in  springing  into 
the  air. 

10.  The  vent  feathers  and  under-tail  coverts,  that  extend  from 
the  anus,  or  vent,  to  the  tail  underneath.  These  feathers  are 
much  longer  in  some  tribes  of  birds  than  others.  Those  that 
have  a  constant  habit  of  flirting  up  their  tails — like,  for  example, 
the  Rallus  Carolinus,  and  several  species  of  small  shore-birds— 
have  the  vent  feathers  unusually  well  developed. 

The  tail  feathers  are  various  in  size  and  numbers,  and  are 
generally  the  most  ornamental  part  of  a  bird.  The  tail  per- 
forms the  most  necessary  office  in  the  navigation  of  the  bird 
through  the  air ;  in  fact,  it  is  the  rudder  by  which  its  course  is 
determined,  and  acts  in  concert  with  the  will  of  the  bird  as  freely 
as  a  ship  obeys  her  helm. 

11.  Loral  space, — The  space  between  the  bill  and  eye. 

12.  Frons. — The  forehead. 

13.  Corona. — Crown  of  the  head. 

14.  Occiput. — The  hind  part  of  the  head. 

15.  Flexure. — Bend  of  the  wing. 

16.  Tarsi. — Shanks  of  the  legs. 

17.  T^5^a.— Thigh. 

The  upper  and  lower  hills  are  called  the  superior  and  inferior 
maxilla,  or  upper  and  lower  mandibles. 
Iris — irides. — The  colored  circle  surrounding  the  pupil  of  the  eye. 


36 


LEWIS    S    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


Mentum. — The  chin. 

Guttur. — The  throat. 

Collum. — The  neck. 

Pectus. — The  breast. 

In  measurement,  the  total  length  means  from  point  of  bill  to 
the  end  of  middle  tail  feathers.  Length  of  the  wings  means 
from  the  hend  of  the  wing  to  the  end  of  the  longest  quill 
feather. 


CHAPTER  II. 


SENSATION   IN   FEATHERS. 


HE  keenest  sense  of  feeling  through  the 
medium  of  the  plumage  is  indispensably 
necessary  to  the  well-being  of  all  the 
feathered  race. 

The  feathers,  it  is  true,  in  themselves, 
like  several  other  portions  of  the  body, 
such,  for  example,  as  the  nails,  claws, 
heah,  and  hoofs,  have  no  real  consciousness 
or  actual  perception  of  the  sense  of  touch;  still,  they  are  enabled 
by  the  nicest  possible  organization  to  'convey  the  most  delicate 
impressions  to  those  functions  of  the  animal  economy  that  do  feel. 
If  such  a  wise  provision  of  Nature  did  not  exist,  what,  we 
might  ask,  would  become  of  all  the  numerous  nocturnal  birds 
which  seek  their  food  only  during  the  dark  hours  of  night?  The 
whole  tribe  most  indubitably  would  soon  be  killed  oflf  by  striking 
themselves  against  the  various  obstacles  that  they  necessarily 
encounter  in  their  midnight  rambles.  This  acute  sensitiveness  on 
the  part  of  feathers  to  outward  impressions  is  not,  perhaps,  as 


38  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

essential  for  those  birds  which  fly  only  in  the  broad  daylight  as  it 
is  to  the  numerous  variety  of  owls,  bats,  &c.  that  seek  their 
prey  solely  during  the  lonely  hours  of  darkness. 

Nevertheless,  a  certain  degree  of  this  delicacy  of  perception  is 
absolutely  requisite  even  for  them,  to  secure  their  safety  while  per- 
forming rapid  flights  through  the  thickets  and  forests  which  they 
most  generally  inhabit  or  take  shelter  in.  This,  then,  being  the 
case,  is  it  not  reasonable  to  infer  that  the  feathers  should  at  all 
times  be  in  the  highest  state  of  perfection?  This  physical  con- 
dition, however,  could  not  be  preserved  if  they  were  not  shed  or 
renewed  from  time  to  time,  as  they  necessarily  would  become  soiled, 
dried,  broken,  and  ultimately  totally  unfit  for  this  nice  service  by 
the  constant  exposure  they  are  subjected  to,  as  well  as  the  many 
accidents  they  must,  from  their  mode  of  life,  encounter. 

To  remedy  these  evils,  or  rather  to  make  provision  for  such 
casualties.  Nature,  ever  provident  in  all  her  works,  very  wisely 
ordains  that  the  feathered  race  shall  moult,  or,  in  other  words, 
doff  their  plumage  entire,  once  or  twice  a  year.  The  simple 
shedding  of  the  feathers  is  not  the  only  precaution  which  a  bene- 
ficent Providence  has  established  for  the  preservation  of  these, 
the  most  extensive  and  beautiful  portion  of  his  creations.  For 
we  may  here  also  notice  the  remarkable  changes  that  take  place 
in  the  tints  of  the  plumage,  more  especially  in  those  birds  which 
remain  in  the  northern  latitudes  during  the  long  and  bleak 
winters.  Many  of  them,  from  the  most  sombre  hues  of  spring 
and  summer,  become  pied,  or  even  pure  white:  thus  cunningly 
adapting  themselves  to  the  pervading  color  of  the  objects  b}^ 
which  they  are  surrounded,  they  are  the  better  able  to  conceal 
themselves  from  the  attacks  of  their  many  prowling  enemies 
that  are  now  driven  to  great  extremes  for  food.  The  protec- 
tion afforded  birds,  as  well  as  many  of  the  smaller  quadrupeds, 
in  this  alteration  of  the  color  of  their  plumage  and  pelage,  from 
the  aggressions  of  their  more  powerful  foes,  is  not  the  only 
benefit  which  results  from  this  wise  providence;  as  the  chilling 
effects  of  constant  exposure  to  the  excessive  cold  of  those  hibernal 


SENSATION    IN    FEATHERS.  39 

regions  are  somewhat  abated  by  the  transition  to  white,  from  the 
well-established  fact  that  a  surface  purely  white  reflects  heat  far 
more  copiously  than  a  dark  one;  and  consequently  it  is  not  diffi- 
cult for  us  to  infer  that,  in  like  manner,  it  prevents  any  undue 
waste  of  the  animal  heat  by  radiation. 

The  moulting  of  birds  is  very  gradual,  and  few  of  them  are 
ever  so  bare  of  feathers  as  to  prevent  them  from  taking  wing, 
and  even  flying  long  distances. 

The  time  of  shedding  the  feathers  varies  in  the  difforont  species 
and  in  different  climes ;  some  moult  late  in  the  summer,  some  in 
the  early  autumn,  and  some  in  the  early  spring. 

The  summer  or  autumnal  moult  is  always  the  most  complete; 
the  perennial  is  generally  only  a  change  of  color  of  some  portions 
of  the  plumage,  and  not  a  thorough  shedding  of  the  feathers. 

Those  birds,  as  well  as  water-fowl,  which  extend  their  migrations 
far  to  the  North,  for  the  purposes  of  procreation,  receive  their 
fresh  plumage  after  the  period  of  incubation  has  entirely  passed 
by,  so  that  they  come  out  fresh  and  entirely  freed  from  all  the 
filth  and  vermin  which  their  previous  sedentary  occupations  may 
have  entailed  on  them. 


.^^-^  '    ^^^ 


CHAPTER  III. 


SPORTING   TEKMS. 


HE  technical  terms  adopted  by  writers 
on  field-amusements  should  be  perfectly 
familiar  to  every  sportsman,  and  ought  to 
be  made  use  of  on  all  occasions  when  rural 
diversions  are  the  subject  of  conversation. 
Many  of  our  sporting  acquaintances  are 
most  wofully  deficient  in  a  knowledge 
of  these  designations,  and  consequently 
make  the  most  egregious  blunders  in 
their  vain  efi'orts  to  appear  au  fait  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  dog 
and  gun.  A  few  minutes  of  study  and  reflection,  my  patient 
friends,  will  make  you  all  proficients  in  this  branch  of  Orismology ; 
therefore  remain  no  longer  in  ignorance,  even  if  it  he  hliss. 


TERMS    APPLICABLE    TO   DOGS 

A  brace  of  pointers  or  setters. 
A  leash  of 
40 


A  couple  of  spaniels. 

A  couple  and  a  half  of  spaniels. 


SPORTING    TERMS.  41 

1-  Toho !  7.  Seek  dead !  find  dead  bird ! 

2.  Down  charge !  8.  Fetch ! 

3.  Back  or  heel !  9.  Drop,  sir ! 

4.  Steady !  steady  there !  10.  To  mouth  a  bird. 

5.  Go  on !  on !  11.  To  run  wild. 

6.  Holdup!  lip! 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  ABOVE  TERMS. 

1.  To  make  pointers  or  setters  come  to  a  stand. 

2.  "  "  "  li.i  down  while  loading. 

3.  "  "  "  go  behind. 

4.  "  "  "  caroful  when  game  is  about. 

5.  "  "  "  vise — a  term  of  encouragement. 

6.  "  "  "  hold  his  head  up  so  as  to  wind  the  game. 

7.  "  "  "  look  for  a  dead  bird. 

8.  "  "  *'  bring  the  dead  bird. 

9.  "  "  *'  deliver  up  the  dead  bird. 

10.  To  bite  or  chew  a  bird  severely. 

11.  To  run  heedlessly,  without  caution. 

By  a  pair  is  understood  two  of  the  same  kind  or  species  united  or  paired  by 
nature,  male  and  female.  Therefore,  how  evidently  wrong  it  is  to  say  a  pair 
of  pointers,  or  a  pair  of  setters! 

By  a  couple,  or  brace,  is  understood  the  involuntary  union  of  two  individual 
companions  of  the  same  species,  either  by  a  chain,  noose,  or  tic. 

PARTRIDGES. 

A  covey  of  partridges  or  birds.  A  brace  and  a  half  of  partridges  or 

A  brace  of         "  "  birds. 

To  spring  or  flush      *'        " 

QROUSS. 

A  brood  of  grouse.  A  leash  of  grouse. 

A  pack  of        '*  To  raise  a        " 

A  brace  of       " 

WOODCOCKS. 

A.  couple  of  woodcocks.  A  flight  or  fall  of  woodcocks. 

A  couple  and  a  half  of  woodcocks.       To  flush  or  start  a  woodcock. 

SNIPE   OR    PLOVER. 

A  wisp  or  walk  of  snipes.  A  couple  and  a  half  of  snipes  or 

A  wing  or  congregation  of  plovers.  plovers. 

A  couple  of  snipes  or  plovers.  To  spring  a  snipe  or  plover. 


42 


lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


SMALL    WILD-FOWL,    OR    SHORE-BIRDS,    OF    EVERY   DESCRIPTION. 

A  flock  of.  A  couple  and  a  half  of 
A  couple  of. 

REED-BIRDS  AND    RAILS. 

A  flock  of  reed-biids.  To  get  up  a  rail. 

A  dozen  of  reed-Tnrds.  To  mark  a  rail. 
Five,  ten,  fifteen,  or  twenty  rails. 


A  brace  of  hares. 
A  leash  of  hares. 


HARES. 

To  start  or  move  a  hare. 


LARGE    WILD-FOWL. 

A  flock,  team,  or  l.jidelynge  of  wild  A  flock  of  teal. 

ducks.  A  s^ang  of  brent. 

A  company  or  trip  of  wild  ducks.  A  whiteness  of  swans. 
A  gaggle  or  flock  of  geese. 


CHAPTER  IV 


DOGS 


OR  the  most  general  and  useful  informa- 
tion regarding  Dogs,  we  beg  to  refer 
our  readers  to  the  American  edition  of 
"Youatt,"  published  under  our  super- 
vision, a  short  time  since,  by  Lea  &. 
Blanchard.  This  valuable  work  con- 
tains nearly  all  that  is  requisite  for  a 
sportsman  to  know  in  reference  to  these 
interesting  animals;  and  the  enterprising 
publishers  deserve  high  commendation,  and 
the  thanks  of  the  whole  sporting  community,  for  the  very  excellent 
manner  in  which  they  have  put  it  through  the  press.  No  sportsman, 
or  even  admirer  of  the  faithful  dog,  should  be  without  a  copy  of 
this  beautiful  and  instructive  volume ;  in  fact,  every  one  who  reads 

it  will  find  an  abundance  of  interesting  matter  in  its  pages. 

43 


44  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTS  MAX. 

The  author,  as  a  veterinary  surgeon,  had  for  many  years  no 
rival  in  England ;  his  close  observation,  unremitted  industry,  and 
extensive  practice  in  the  veterinary  art,  enabled  him,  during  a 
series  of  years,  to  lay  up  a  store  of  information  on  these  subjects 
that  no  other  individual  could  have  possibly  collected.  Youatt's 
attention,  either  from  choice  or  the  force  of  circumstances,  was 
particularly  directed  to  the  study  of  the  history  and  pathology  of 
the  canine  race;  and  sportsmen  cannot  be  too  thankful  for  the 
much  useful  matter  that  this  practical  writer  has  embodied  in  his 
work ;  and  which,  by-the-by,  was  only  given  to  the  public  a  short 
time  before  the  close  of  an  honorable  life,  the  greater  portion  of 
which  was  spent  in  the  noble  effort  to  alleviate  the  sufferings, 
lighten  the  labors,  exalt  the  position,  and  teach  the  inestimable 
worth,  of  our  domestic  animals. 

Much  valuable  pathological  information,  as  well  as  other  general 
matter,  will  be  found  in  Mr.  Youatt's  book,  which,  upon  the  whole, 
renders  it  the  most  complete  work  tljat  has  ever  been  dedicated  to 
this  faithful  animal;  and,  as  we  said  before,  should  be  in  the 
hands  of  every  lover  of  the  dog.  The  volume  is  beautifully 
embellished  v^ith  numerous  spirited  engravings,  which  not  a  little 
enhance  its  value  in  the  eyes  of  every  one.  We  do  not  intend  our 
observations  as  a  puff,  either  for  ourselves,  as  connected  with  the 
publication  of  the  work,  or  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  have 
brought  it  out,  but  we  wish  rather  to  draw  the  attention  of  the 
reading  public  generally  to  the  examination  of  the  volume,  being 
convinced  that  it  needs  only  to  be  known  to  be  properly  appre- 
ciated; and  by  thus  causing  it  to  be  appreciated  we  are  richly 
repaid  in  the  pleasant  reflection  that  we  have  done  something  to- 
wards elevating  the  condition  of  that  animal  which,  above  all  others, 
owing  to  his  untiring  devotion  and  never-ceasing  fidelity,  should 
elicit  the  greatest  kindness  and  best  treatment  from  the  hands  of 
mankind. 

The  dog,  par  excellence,  may  be  considered  the  type  of  all  that 
is  nohle  and  great;  for,  certainly,  incorruptible  fidelity,  disin- 
terested attachment,  and  a  never-ceasing  desire  to  be  useful  to 


r 


DOGS.  46 

man,  are  attributes  sufficiently  high  in  their  moral  bearing  to  en- 
title the  possessor  to  this  exalted  position  from  among  all  other 
animals.  From  the  remotest  ages  of  the  world  down  to  the 
present  time,  we  find  the  dog  the  intimate  associate  of  man,  the 
protector  of  his  habitation,  the  guardian  of  his  flocks.  No 
neglect,  no  ill-treatment,  can  drive  him  from  our  doors ;  he  bears 
every  oppression,  forgives  every  blow,  and  obeys  every  command. 
As  from  instinct,  the  dog  abandons  his  own  personal  liberty, 
shuns  even  the  members  of  his  own  race,  and  associates  himself 
entirely  with  man  as  his  dearest  friend;  and  no  cause,  however 
great,  is  sufficient,  in  his  estimation,  to  break  asunder  these  volun- 
tary ties  or  destroy  this  beloved  connection.  IJc  asks  but  a  trifle 
for  his  proff"ered  services :  a  kind  word,  an  occasional  smile,  a 
fragment  of  our  abundance,  or  a  mere  mite  of  our  poverty,  is  all 
that  he  requires.  The  extremes  of  luMury  or  indigence  are  alike 
the  same  to  him,  so  that  he  enjoys  the  companionship  and  kind- 
ness of  his  allotted  master,  let  him  be  a  prince  or  a  beggar.  For 
his  master  alone  he  leaps  for  joy  when  spoken  to ;  on  him  alone 
he  fondles  when  caressed ;  for  him  alone  he  grieves  when  absent ; 
exults  at  his  return,  and  even  in  the  sadness  of  his  heart  pines 
away  over  his  deserted  grave. 

"Dark  green  was  the  spot,  'mid  the  brown  mountain  heather, 

Where  the  pilgrim  of  nature  lay  stretched  in  decay  ; 
Like  the  corpse  of  an  outcast,  abandoned  to  weather. 

Till  the  mountain  winds  wasted  the  tenantless  clay ; 
Nor  yet  quite  deserted,  though  lonely  extended, 
For,  faithful  in  death,  his  mute  favorite  attended, 
The  much-loved  remains  of  her  master  defended, 

And  chased  the  hill-fox  and  the  raven  away. 
How  long  didst  thou  think  that  his  silence  was  slumber ! 

When  the  wind  waved  his  garments,  how  oft  didst  thou  start ! 
How  many  long  days  and  long  weeks  didst  thou  number 

Ere  he  faded  before  thee,  the  friend  of  thy  heart '"''^ 


*  A  young  man  lost  his  life  by  tailing  from  one  of  the  precipices  of  the  Helvelljn 
Mountains.  Three  months  aftei  wards  his  remains  were  discovered  at  the  bottom 
of  a  ravine,  and  his  faithful  dog,  almost  a  skeleton,  still  guai-ding  them.  Sir 
Walter  Scott  beautifully  describes  the  scene  as  above  —  Youatt  on  the  Dog. 


46 


LEWIS    S    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


How  different  is  all  this  from  the  attachment  or  submission  that 
we  witness  in  the  other  domesticated  animals,  all  of  which,  wo 
may  saj,  have  been  reclaimed  with  much  trouble,  and  enslaved 
contrary  to  their  own  will !  They  submit  alone  to  our  arbitrary 
wishes  through  the  fear  of  punishment  or  the  hope  of  reward; 
they  greedily  partake  of  our  proffered  food,  and  perform  in  return 
their  apportioned  labors:  these  forced  duties  at  an  end,  they 
neither  court  the  society  of  man  nor  manifest  any  particular 
pleasure  at  his  presence  or  pain  at  his  absence;  and  if  left  to 
themselves,  would  «oon  relapse  into  their  original  state  of  freedom 
and  indepenaence. 


r 


CHAPTER  V 


ART   OF  SHOOTING  ON  THE  WING 


'  All  the  sports  of  the  field  are  delightful,  I  own, 

But  none  can  with  shooting  compare  ; 
'Tis  a  joy  that  entices  the  king  from  his  throne, 

'Tis  a  joy  that  the  wisest  may  share. 
The  voice  of  the  hound  on  the  breeze  of  the  morn. 

The  note  of  the  bugle,  may  please ; 
The  song  of  the  wild  bird  is  sweet  from  the  thorn, 

But  the  gun  has  more  music  than  these." 


OST  persons  unconversant  with  the  use  of 
the  gun  are  naturally  led  to  believe  that 
there  is  some  great  mystery  or  some 
extraordinary  sleight-of-hand  work  con- 
nected with  the  art  of  shooting  birds 
when  on  the  wing.  This  opinion  is  often 
so  firmly  engrafted  on  the  minds  of  cer- 
tain  sensitive   individuals   that  they  are 

ever  unwilling  even  to  make  a  trial  of  their  own  dexterity  in 

47 


48  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

this  way,  feeling  satisfied  that  they  could  never  arrive  at  any 
degree  of  perfection  in  an  art  so  difficult  to  acquire.  Or,  if  they 
should  be  tempted  to  venture  in  the  field  with  some  one  of  their 
associates  more  experienced  in  the  use  of  the  gun,  expecting  a 
day's  enjoyment,  they  become  so  discouraged  at  their  want  of 
success,  as  well  as  perplexed  at  the  inability  of  their  sporting 
companion  to  give  them  any  definite  or  systematic  instruction  for 
shooting,  that  they  not  unfrequently  withdraw  from  the  field 
completely  mortified  and  disgusted  with  every  thing  appertaining 
to  the  sport ;  when,  by  a  little  perseverance  and  a  few  well-timed 
hints  from  their  companion,  they  might  soon  have  arrived  at  that 
pinnacle  of  fame  to  which  all  sportsmen  aspire  j  we  mean — a  good 
shot ! 

We  ourselves  do  not  pretend  to  be  a  great  shot,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  are  very  modest  in  our  claims  upon  this  point ;  but 
because  we  cannot  kill  every  bird  we  fire  at,  that  is  no  reason  why 
we  may  not  instruct  others,  so  that  they,  by  longer  practice,  may 
arrive  at  this  degree  of  excellence,  if  they  wish  it,  but  to  which 
we  have  neither  the  ambition  to  aim  nor  the  time  at  our  disposal 
to  acquire.  It  is  no  uncommon  circumstance  in  the  study  of  the 
arts  and  sciences  for  the  pupil  to  excel  the  master;  and  we 
suppose,  or  rather  we  flatter  ourselves,  that  we  may  yet  look 
forward  to  encountering  some  one  of  our  own  pupils  in  the  field 
who  will  not  hesitate  to  snub  our  nose  whenever  an  opportunity 
offers.  If  such  should  be  the  case,  we  shall  be  happy  in  the 
knowledge  of  having  done  some  good  for  our  country,  and  more 
particularly  for  the  sports  of  the  field. 

The  first  grand  desideratum  to  be  considered  by  the  pupil  is 
the  possession  of  a  good  gun,  of  which,  however,  we  will  speak 
more  particularly  under  the  chapter  on  fire-arms.  The  next  great 
acquisition  to  be  sought  after  is  coolness  and  deliberation,  for 
without  these  qualities  you  might  as  well  leave  the  gun  in  its  case, 
and  walk  into  the  fields  with  a  dog  at  your  heels,  and  a  shooting- 
cracker  in  your  hand  ready  to  throw  at  the  birds  as  they  rise 
from  the  stubble,  in  the  vain  hope  of  frightening  them  to  death 


SHOOTING    ON    THE    WING.  49 

by  the  noise  of  the  explosion,  as  to  fire  a  gun  over  them  without 
perfect  self-possession  and  composure.  Without  coolness  and 
deliberation,  a  young  shooter,  or  even  an  old  shooter,  can  hope  to 
accomplish  but  little  in  the  field.  In  fact,  we  have  seen  the  best 
of  shots  miss  bird  after  bird  during  a  whole  day's  excursion 
owing  to  some  unexpected  but  perhaps  trifling  occurrence  which 
had  interrupted  their  natural  equanimity  of  temper,  and  thereby 
destroyed  that  coolness  and  deliberation  which  are  so  essential 
for  the  proper  handling  of  the  fowling-piece.  Success  in  shooting, 
all  the  paraphernalia  being  equally  good,  is  dependent  in  a  great 
measure  upon  coolness  and  deliberation ;  the  first  and  most  import- 
ant step,  therefore,  to  be  taken  by  a  young  shooter,  is  the  resolu- 
tion to  acquire  as  soon  as  possible  a  perfect  control  over  all  his 
movements  during  the  excitement  consequent  upon  the  springing 
of  a  covey  of  partridges,  the  whir  of  a  woodcock,  or  the  sudden 
and  irregular  flight  of  a  snipe.  This  mastery  over  his  feelings 
being  once  acquired,  there  will  be  no  difficulty  in  the  way  of  a 
rapid  progress  in  the  art  of  shooting  on  the  wing.  Having 
selected,  with  the  assistance  of  a  sporting  friend,  a  gun,  made  by 
the  most  approved  gunsmith,  practise  the  handling  of  it  in  your 
own  room;  be  sure  that  it  comes  up  to  the  shoulder  right,  and 
that  the  eye  runs  along  the  barrel  with  facility.  Bring  it  up 
to  your  shoulder  ever  and  anon;  take  sight  along  its  barrel  at 
some  small  object  placed  in  the  farthest  corner  of  the  room :  a 
red  wafer,  or  a  piece  of  colored  paper  stuck  on  the  wall,  will 
answer  this  purpose.  By  practising  in  this  way  for  a  short  time, 
a  certain  degree  of  ease  in  the  handling  of  the  gun  will  be 
acquired,  and  then  it  will  be  as  well  to  crack  off  a  few  caps  by 
way  of  accustoming  the  ear  and  eye  to  the  explosion,  as  also 
familiarizing  the  finger  with  the  touch  of  the  trigger.  Having 
occupied  the  leisure  moments  of  a  few  days  in  this  kind  of  sport, 
it  will  be  high  time  to  sally  forth  to  the  fields  and  spend  a  portion 
of  the  day  in  practising  the  art  of  shooting  on  the  wing  any  of 
the  small  birds  that  we  may  meet  in  our  rambles  over  the  country. 
Many   young   sportsmen   exercise    their   skill   upon   swallows. 


50  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

But  it  is  not  a  good  practice,  and  cannot  be  attended  with  any 
particular  benefit  to  them,  as  the  swallow's  flight  is  so  entirely 
different  from  any  known  game-bird  that  one  might  soon  become 
expert  in  killing  these  harmless  -but  useful  little  creatures  without 
ever  being  able  to  bag  a  partridge,  a  woodcock,  or  a  snipe. 

Swallows  fly  with  considerable  swiftness  and  great  irregularity, 
and  cannot  be  easily  killed  except  when  they  stop  or  rather  poise 
themselves  for  an  instant  in  the  air  to  seize  their  prey,  and  while 
in  this  position  the  veriest  bungler  that  ever  handled  a  gun  can 
soon  become  expert  in  knocking  them  over.  Any  of  the  smaller 
and  less  interesting  birds  that  fill  the  groves  during  the  spring 
and  autumn  months  have  flights  resembling  that  of  partridges 
much  more  than  that  of  the  swallow  does,  and  more  improvement 
may  be  derived  from  shooting  a  few  of  them  than  the  slaughter 
of  one-half  of  all  the  swallows  found  about  a  large  farm.  For, 
after  all,  the  shooting  of  swallows  is  nothing  but  a  knack,  acquired 
by  a  little  observation  and  practice,  just  as  any  other  kind  of 
shooting  or  in  fact  sleight-of-hand  work;  but  then  it  should  be 
remembered  by  the  young  aspirant  that  he  may  spend  much  labor 
and  time  both  in  acquiring  this  knack,  without  in  the  least  benefit- 
ing himself  so  far  as  the  shooting  of  partridges  or  any  other  kind 
of  game-bird  is  concerned. 

Nicety  in  shooting  exclusively  at  some  particular  objects,  in 
some  particular  mode,  may  be  carried  to  a  degree  of  perfection 
scarcely  to  be  conceived  of,  as  witnessed  in  the  feats  of  the  bro- 
thers Toomer,  as  described  by  several  English  writers. 

Of  these  two  celebrated  marksmen,  Blaine  remarks  that  Richard 
and  Edward  Toomer,  with  their  rifles  and  a  single  hall,  killed 
eight  pigeons  out  of  twelve,  shooting  alternately;  and  one  of  the 
pigeons  that  did  not  drop,  had  a  leg  carried  off  by  the  ball.  They 
likewise  with  a  single  hall  struck  twice,  out  of  four  shots,  a  cricket- 
ball  thrown  into  the  air;  and  Richard  at  a  cricket-match,  his  gun 
being  loaded  with  shot,  struck  the  ball  twelve  successive  times, 
when  bowled  by  one  of  the  sharpest  bowlers  in  all  England.  Our 
backwoodsmen  years  ago  brought  rifle-shooting  to  so  high  a  state 


f 


SHOOTING    OX    THE    WING.  51 

of  excellency  that  their  ordinary  performances  seemed  marvellous 
even  to  the  German  Jagers,  who  have  always  been  esteemed  the 
very  best  marksmen  of  the  Old  World.  Killing  with  a  single  ball 
squirrels  from  the  tops  of  the  highest  trees,  as  well  as  cutting  off 
the  head  of  a  wild  turkey  or  other  large  bird  at  the  distance  of 
one  hundred  yards  or  more  when  in  full  flight,  was  a  common  feat 
with  these  hardy  huntsmen.  In  fact,  so  expert  were  the  keel-boat- 
men of  the  Mississippi  in  handling  the  rifle,  that  they  did  not 
hesitate,  in  a  spirit  of  playfulness,  even  at  a  long  distance,  to  cut 
the  pipe  out  of  the  hat-band  of  a  companion,  or  unexpectedly 
upset  a  cup  of  whiskey  that  might  at  lunch-time  be  for  the  moment 
resting  on  some  one's  knee.  Driving  the  nail  at  forty  paces, 
snuffing  the  candle  at  fifty,  and  shooting  an  apple  or  other  small 
objects  from  the  heads  of  each  other,  were  the  favorite  amuse- 
ments of  these  daring  marksmen.* 

It  is  also  not  an  uncommon  circumstance  to  meet  with  persons 
who  can  lay  a  double-barrelled  gun,  cocked,  on  the  ground,  throw 
two  pennies  up  in  the  air  and  strike  them  both,  before  touching 
the  ground.  This  same  degree  of  nicety  in  handling  the  gun  and 
perfecting  the  eye  may  be  acquired  in  pigeon-shooting,  as  wit- 
nessed in  the  wonderful  exploits  laid  down  under  this  head  by 
numerous  English  authors,  and  as  detailed  from  time  to  time  of 
our  own  shooters  in  the  columns  of  the  Spirit  of  the  Times.  But 
all  these  various  kinds  of  shooting,  though  exhibiting  much  skill 
and  perfection  in  the  art,  will  not  qualify  a  person  for  taking  the 
field  with  an  experienced  sportsman;  as  the  killing  of  game  is 
quite  a  different  thing  from  knocking  over  the  tame,  quiet,  and 
phlegmatic  house-pigeon,  that,  rising  from  the  trap  with  a  certain 
degree  of  regularity,  although  with  a  sudden  impetus  imparted  to 
it  by  the  operations  of  the  spring,  and  most  frequently  taking  a 
bewildered  though  easy  flight,  is  brought  down  with  the  greatest 
facility  by  those  accustomed  to  its  usual  course  of  action  at  such 
times. 

*  See  Thorpe's  Remembrances  of  the  Mississippi. 


52  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

How  tame,  how  vastly  different  is  all  this  to  the  sudden  and 
unlooked-for  spring  of  the  vigorous  little  partridge,  as  with  a 
startling  noise  he  bounces  up  from  under  our  very  feet,  and,  long 
before  any  save  the  initiated  one  can  recover  from  his  bewilder- 
ment and  bring  his  piece  to  bear  upon  the  affrighted  bird,  has  fairly 
soared  far  beyond  his  reach — ^yes,  even  beyond  his  sharpest  vision. 
And  then,  again,  the  deep,  sonorous,  and  still  more  perplexing 
whir  of  the  ruffed  grouse,  as  he  goes  booming  off  through  the 
entangled  thickets  bordering  the  mountain  streams ;  or  the  delve- 
resounding  start  of  the  lonely  woodcock,  as  he  rushes  through 
the  marshy  brake,  all  in  the  full  vigor  and  freshness  of  his  native 
freedom;  or  the  still  more  confusing  zigzag  flight  of  the  fickle 
snipe,  as  he  springs  wildly  from  the  oozy  marsh. 

The  whirring  noise  consequent  upon  the  springing  of  a  covey  or 
even  of  a  single  bird  is  not  a  little  trying  to  the  nerves  of  a 
young  shot ;  and  it  requires  some  considerable  time  to  accustom  his 
ears  to  this  startling  sound,  which,  however,  will  wear  off  by 
degrees,  no  matter  how  nervous  he  may  be  at  first.  When  the 
dogs  have  come  to  a  stand,  advance  noiselessly  and  with  firmness 
towards  the  spot  indicated,  holding  the  gun  cocked,  and  with  the 
muzzle  in  such  a  position  that  its  contents  could  not  injure  any 
one  of  the  company,  even  if  it  should  by  any  mishap  go  off  before 
you  have  the  proper  range  on  the  birds.  Be  careful,  above  all, 
not  to  shoot  the  dogs;  which  accident,  by-the-by,  has  happened 
more  than  once  to  heedless  beginners.  When  the  birds  are 
flushed,  raise  the  gun  with  perfect  coolness  and  deliberation; 
single  out  first  one  bird  and  then  another,  if  you  have  a  double- 
barrelled  gun,  as  every  sportsman  should  have,  and  be  sure  not  to 
pull  trigger  upon  either  of  them  till  they  are  well  covered.  That 
is,  when  looking  down  the  barrel-plate,  the  eye,  the  sight,  the 
point,  and  the  bird,  are  all  in  the  same  line:  this,  then,  is  the 
moment  to  fire ;  do  not  hesitate  an  instant ;  do  not  dwell  upon  the 
object  after  it  is  once  covered,  or  you  will  inevitably  lose  the  point 
of  sight,  and  the  load  will  pass  under  the  bird. 

The  eye  in  a  correct  light  is  seldom  wrong  in  its  calculations, 


SHOOTING    ON    THE    WING.  63 

seldom  deceived  as  regards  distances  or  positions ;  seldom,  in  fact, 
at  fault  in  any  one  particular ;  it  is  to  some  one  of  the  many  other 
circumstances  upon  which  the  proper  handling  of  the  fowling-piece 
is  dependent  that  we  must  attribute  the  frequent  habit  of  missing ; 
such,  for  example,  as  a  want  of  self-possession,  over-anxiety,  care- 
less loading,  hurry,  nervousness,  or  some  such  causes.  Be  careful 
not  to  shut  both  eyes  just  at  the  instant  of  pulling  the  trigger,  as 
some  beginners  do ;  neither  throw  the  muzzle  of  the  gun  up  or 
down  with  a  sudden  jerk,  but  let  it  lie  perfectly  free  in  the  grasp. 
By  following  these  few  instructions,  although  you  may  miss  your 
bird  over  and  over  again  during  the  first  day's  shooting,  still,  we 
are  confident  that  you  will  attain  in  a  very  short  space  of  time  to 
some  considerable  cleverness  in  the  art.  When  there  is  a  fair  and 
open  shot  and  the  bird  not  killed,  you  may  depend  upon  it  that  it 
was  not  properly  covered ;  or,  if  it  was,  the  gun,  by  some  imper- 
ceptible movement,  must  have  been  carried  from  its  proper  direc- 
tion at  the  instant  of  firing,  or  the  bird  might  have  perchance 
varied  its  straight  course  at  the  critical  moment  of  being  covered. 
One  of  these  three  things  must  have  taken  place  provided  the  gun 
was  loaded  properly,  otherwise  the  bird  would  have  inevitably  been 
brought  down.  We  do  not  pretend  to  say  that  every  one  on  going 
for  the  first  time  into  the  field  will  acquire  in  an  incredibly  short 
time  this  beautiful  accomplishment  of  shooting  on  the  wing  by  the 
mere  committing  to  memory  of  any  set  of  rules  for  the  handling 
of  a  gun.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  we  must  assure  the  novice  that 
without  pretty  constant  practice  and  great  attention  he  will  never 
attain  the  art;  but  when  once  acquired  it  is  seldom  lost,  except 
temporarily,  so  long  as  the  visual  organs  are  perfect  and  the 
physical  powers  sufficiently  strong  to  carry  him  into  the  field  in 
pursuit  of  game.  No  doubt  thousands  of  sportsmen  arrive  at 
great  excellence  in  shooting  without  ever  reading  a  line  on  the 
subject  or  receiving  a  word  of  advice  from  the  more  experienced ; 
but  still,  their  progress  has  been  very  slow  and  up-hill  kind  of 
work,  and  their  object  accomplished  at  last  only  by  long  practice 
and  observation.     We  do  not,  however,  wish  our  readers  to  under- 


54  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

stand  that  any  one  can  acquire  the  art  of  shooting  on  the  wing 
without  patience^  fractice^  and  study,  as  we  do  not  believe  any 
such  thing,  and  would  be  sorry  to  attempt  the  promulgation  of 
such  a  fallacy.  But  we  do  assert  that  the  young  beginner  will 
much  sooner,  and  with  much  more  pleasure  to  himself,  arrive  at 
this  desirable  end,  by  giving  heed  to  the  experience  of  those  who 
have  gone  before  him,  no  matter  whether  the  instruction  be  im- 
parted orally  or  by  means  of  the  pen.  That  there  are  certain 
fundamental  rules  for  acquiring  this  accomplishment  no  one  will 
deny;  and  these  rules  should  be  made  as  simple  and  as  few  as 
possible ;  in  fact,  reduced  down  to  a  few  words  of  caution,  which 
may  be  embodied  in  the  following  line : — Be  cool  and  deliberate, 
and  never  draw  the  trigger  till  the  bird  is  well  covered.  We  do 
not  wish  to  bother  the  novice  with  a  long  array  of  written  instruc- 
tions for  shooting,  as  information  obtained  in  this  way  is  too  often 
a  mere  matter  of  rote,  and  cannot  be  of  any  great  practical  utility ; 
we  desire,  however,  to  impress  upon  his  memory  a  few  short  rules 
that  will  secure  him  from  the  commission  of  many  faults  and  pre- 
vent him  from  falling  into  the  common  errors  of  most  beginners. 
This  end  being  accomplished,  we  abandon  him  to  the  practical 
operations  of  the  field,  which  of  themselves  will  soon  make  him 
skilful,  if  he  possess  any  of  that  aptness  for  sport  which  seems  in- 
herent in  many  of  those  who  follow  the  dog  and  gun  as  a  source 
of  the  most  healthful  and  exhilarating  amusement. 

Although  by  strictly  adhering  to  the  golden  rule,  be  cool  and 
deliberate,  and  never  draw  the  trigger  till  the  bird  is  well  covered, 
the  novice  without  doubt  will  miss  many  birds,  as  they  will  often 
get  beyond  the  reach  of  his  shot  long  before  he  has  fairly  covered 
them,  more  particularly  if  shooting  in  thickets  or  woods,  never- 
theless, he  will  find,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  day,  that  he  has  not 
made  out  so  very  bad,  and,  we  can  assure  him,  much  better  than 
if  he  had  shot  at  every  bird  before  it  had  flown  ten  steps  from  the 
spot  whence  it  sprang.  To-be-sure,  he  will  often  feel  mortification 
and  disappointment  at  the  sight  of  a  partridge  sailing  off  untouched 
by  his  fire,  although  well  covered  by  the  gun :  this  chagrin,  how- 


SHOOTINGONTHEWING.  65 

ever,  will  be  of  short  duration,  as,  on  the  springing  of  the  next 
bird,  he  will  involuntarily  strive  to  be  somewhat  smarter  in  his 
movements,  but  at  the  same  time  adhering  strictly  to  the  golden 
rule  of  coolness  and  deliberation;  and  his  efforts  on  this  occasion 
will  perhaps  be  crowned  with  greater  success.  The  bagging,  then, 
of  this  one  bird  will  recompense  for  many  others  lost,  and  at  the 
same  time  impress  upon  him  the  importance  of  sticking  to  the 
principles  upon  which  he  entered  the  field,  and  make  him  a  firm 
convert  to  the  absolute  utility  of  giving  heed  to  our  instructions ; 
for  he  will  find  that  as  often  as  he  departs  from  these  rules  and 
fires  his  gun  at  random,  just  so  often  will  he  be  disappointed  in  the 
result,  and  will  also  learn  that  the  chances  of  killing  birds  at  ran- 
dom shots  are  very  few,  even  when  fired  into  a  large  covey ;  for 
how  frequently  have  we  seen  even  the  most  experienced  sportsmen 
shoot  into  coveys  without  ruffling  a  feather,  owing  entirely  to  the 
circumstance  of  the  birds  all  rising,  as  it  were,  in  a  mass  together, 
and  confusing  him  by  their  proximity  and  numbers ;  or,  in  other 
words,  throwing  him  off  his  guard,  and  depriving  him  momentarily 
of  that  coolness  and  deliberation  of  which  we  are  speaking !  It  is 
very  difficult,  at  times,  even  for  an  old  sportsman  to  suppress  a 
feeling  of  anxiety,  a  kind  of  nervous  trepidation  that  involuntarily 
creeps  over  him  when  advancing  upon  a  covey  that  he  feels  certain 
is  spread  out  around  him,  but  at  the  same  time  entirely  ignorant 
of  the  exact  spot  from  whence  the  birds  will  spring.  Under  these 
circumstances,  the  heart  of  an  old  shooter  is  apt  to  palpitate  with 
a  slight  but  agreeable  emotion,  while  the  warm  blood  of  the  tyro 
rushes  through  his  system  with  a  velocity  that  often  makes  his 
whole  frame  quiver  with  excitement.  If,  then,  he  misses  his  bird, 
it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  as  the  confusion  and  noise  consequent 
upon  the  flushing  of  a  covey  of  frightened  birds  is  no  small  affair, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  is  well  calculated  to  upset  his  already-shaken 
nerves  and  throw  him  entirely  off  his  guard;  insomuch  that  he 
mechanically  raises  his  gun  and  bangs  away,  harum-scarum,  with- 
out the  least  aim,  and  then  is  mortified  as  well  as  astonished  that 


56  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

he  did  not  kill  half  a  dozen  birds  from  among  so  many  immediately" 
under  his  nose. 

It  is  to  steel  the  heart  of  the  novice  against  this  emotion  that 
we  wish  to  impress  upon  him,  in  the  most  forcible  manner,  the  im- 
portance of  coolness  and  deliberation  in  all  his  actions;  for  rest 
assured  that  without  these  two  chief  requisites  he  will  never  make 
a  good  shbt,  but  always  be  a  bungler  and  a  dangerous  person  to 
go  out  with,  as  he  will  be  sure  some  time  or  other  to  shoot  either 
himself,  a  friend,  or  his  dog. 

CROSS   SHOTS. 

We  have  in  the  previous  pages  been  endeavoring  to  explain 
more  particularly  the  rules  for  plain  or  straight  shooting;  that 
is,  when  a  bird  is  going  directly  from  us,  as  partridges  most  gene- 
rally do  when  a  covey  is  flushed.  We  will  now  speak  of  the  rules 
for  cross  shooting. 

Many  persons  can  kill  birds  with  a  great  deal  of  certainty 
when  they  are  flying  from  them ;  but,  for  want  of  a  little  attention 
to  the  subject,  are  constantly  at  fault  when  they  come  to  pull  upon 
birds  that  are  either  crossing  to  the  right  or  the  left,  more 
particularly  the  former.  The  first  thing  to  be  observed  by  the 
sportsman  when  considering  a  "cross  shot"  is  the  velocity  with 
which  the  bird  flies,  and  the  distance  it  is  ofi"  from  him  at  the 
moment  of  firing.  These  two  circumstances  must  be  determined 
upon  in  his  own  mind  in  a  moment  of  time,  as  it  were,  by  intui- 
tion ;  for  when  the  game  is  on  the  wing  there  is  no  opportunity  for 
the  exercise  of  inductive  reason  to  arrive  at  these  points.  This 
faculty  of  rapid  discrimination  or  rightly  judging  the  distance 
that  the  bird  is  from  us,  or  the  velocity  with  which  it  is  moving 
through  the  air,  every  shooter  must  soon  acquire  by  practice; 
otherwise  he  can  never  become  a  superior  marksman,  but  will 
constantly  find  himself  missing  the  fairest  cross  shots.  The 
American  partridge,  more  particularly  when  frightened,  or  rather 
startled  by  the  sportsman,  flies  with  amazing  velocity,  perhaps 
swifter  and  stronger  than  any  other  game-bird  in  the  world.     The 


SHOOTING    ON    THE    WING.  57 

ordinary  flight  of  the  English  partridge  is  nothing  to  compare  to  it 
in  point  of  speed — we  mean,  of  course,  a  full-grown  December  bird. 
This  being  the  fact,  there  is  no  doubt  that  our  bird  requires  much 
more  calculation  and  precision  to  bring  it  down  when  crossing. 

When  flushed,  partridges,  except  in  sections  of  the  country 
where  they  are  seldom  or  never  hunted,  boom  ofi"  at  the  top  of 
their  speed ;  and  if  they  attain  a  distance  of  forty,  fifty,  or  sixty 
paces  before  we  succeed  in  fairly  covering  them,  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  sight  the  gun  a  little  in  advance  of  them  in  the  regular 
line  of  their  flight.  If  the  birds  are  very  large  and  strong, — 
which,  by-the-by,  most  generally  is  the  case  in  November  and 
December, — it  will  be  better  to  allow  a  still  greater  distance 
between  the  bird  and  the  point  of  sight,  and  then  perhaps  we  shall 
not  unfrequently  have  the  mortification  of  seeing  our  intended 
victim  move  off  unhurt  save  the  loss  of  the  tail  feathers.  If  the 
course  of  the  bird  should  be  oblique,  as  is  often  the  case,  the  same 
rules  for  shooting  will  apply,  save  that  the  point  of  aim  should  be 
about  half  the  distance  in  advance  of  the  bird,  as  if  it  were  flying 
directly  across.  There  is  another  point  in  cross  shooting  which  we 
must  not  forget  to  impress  upon  the  attention  of  our  readers,  other- 
wise all  our  previous  remarks  on  the  subject  will  prove  nugatory 
and  go  for  nothing.  What  we  refer  to  is  the  absolute  necessity 
of  accustoming  the  hand  and  eye  to  keep  up  the  lateral  motion 
imparted  to  the  gun  when  sighting  it  on  the  object  till  after  the 
piece  is  discharged.  If  attention  be  not  paid  to  this  point,  and  at 
the  moment  of  pulling  the  trigger  the  gun  is  arrested  in  its  onward 
progress,  the  whole  load  will  most  inevitably  pass  behind  the  bird ; 
as  the  time  intervening  between  the  pulling  of  the  trigger  and  the 
passage  of  the  shot  through  the  air  to  the  intended  victim  is  quite 
sufficient  to  allow  of  its  getting  beyond  the  point  of  sight  first 
caught  at  by  the  eye. 

The  distance  intervening  between  the  bird  and  the  point  of 
sight  is  the  space  granted  the  bird  for  flying  through  the  air 
during  the  passage  of  the  shot  from  the  muzzle  of  the  gun  to  the 
point  of  sight,  and  not  for  the  pulling  of  the  trigger,  ignition  of 


58  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

the  powder,  and  the  escape  of  the  load  from  the  barrel.  All  this. 
to-be-sure,  appears  only  to  be  a  momentary,  if  not  an  instanta- 
neous affair ;  but  such  is  not  the  fact,  as  every  shooter  can  testify 
to ;  for  it  is  a  self-evident  fact  that  some  time  must  elapse  between 
the  accomplishment  of  these  two  acts — the  pulling  of  the  trigger 
and  the  escape  of  the  charge  from  the  gun.  This  time  will  be 
regulated  in  a  great  measure  by  the  quality  of  the  powder  and 
the  construction  of  the  gun,  which,  however,  will  be  spoken  of 
particularly  under  a  more  appropriate  head.  If,  therefore,  the 
motion  of  the  gun  be  stopped  during  the  time  of  pulling  the 
trigger  and  the  escape  of  the  load,  the  bird  will  inevitably  have 
got  beyond  the  reach  of  the  shot,  unless  we  should  allow  double 
the  distance  to  intervene  between  the  bird  and  the  point  of  sight, 
and  this  kind  of  shooting  would  be  very  uncertain.  Therefore, 
we  repeat  again  that  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  gun 
should  continue  its  gentle  movement  in  the  line  of  flight  at  the 
proper  distance  in  advance  of  the  game  till  after  the  pulling  of 
the  trigger.  Most  young  shots  have  a  strong  inclination  to  arrest 
the  progress  of  the  gun  when  pulling  the  trigger,  which,  if  not 
early  corrected,  degenerates  into  a  settled  habit  that  is  very  diffi- 
cult to  be  overcome. 

A  bird  crossing  to  the  right  is  generally  considered  more  difficult 
to  shoot  than  when  going  to  the  left,  and  very  justly  so ;  as  the  gun, 
being  balanced  on  the  left  hand,  can  be  carried  towards  that  side 
with  more  ease  and  freedom  than  it  can  towards  the  right.  If  any 
of  our  readers  are  dubious  on  this  point,  let  him  take  a  gun  in  his 
hand  and  place  himself  in  the  usual  position  to  fire,  and  he  will 
readily  perceive  what  we  mean,  as  upon  trial  he  will  find  it  difficult 
to  take  sight  on  an  object  even  at  right  angles  with  his  right  side, 
whereas  he  will  be  able  to  turn  himself  with  ease  so  far  to  the  left 
that  he  can  shoot  in  a  direct  line  behind  his  person. 

A  bird  when  crossing  is  much  easier  killed,  if  struck,  than 
when  going  straight  from  you  or  coming  towards  you,  as  the  vital 
parts  are  somewhat  protected  in  the  first  case  by  the  rump,  and 
in  the  second  the  shot  is  very  apt  to  glance  off  from  the  thick 


SHOOTING    ON    THE    WING.  59 

feathers  of  the  breast.  When  a  bird  is  flying  towards  you  or  over 
your  head,  you  will  be  very  apt  to  miss  it :  the  better  plan  is  to 
wait  till  it  has  passed,  and  then  turn  and  take  a  fair  shot  at  it. 
If,  however,  you  prefer  shooting  as  the  bird  advances  towards  you, 
aim  for  the  head,  or  rather  the  bill,  when  he  has  arrived  at  a  fair 
shooting  distance.  If  coming  very  swiftly,  as  they  most  generally 
do  when  frightened,  it  will  not  be  too  much  to  aim  even  a  foot 
or  more  before  the  bird.  When  shooting  at  long  distances,  be 
careful  to  hold  the  gun  full  high ;  as  shot,  after  going  a  certain 
distance,  has,  as  a  matter  of  course,  a  downward  tendency.  The 
most  common  fault  committed  by  sportsmen  generally  is  the  too 
frequent  habit  of  shooting  under  their  game ;  and  we  are  satisfied 
from  repeated  observation  that  where  one  bird  is  missed  by  shoot- 
ing too  high^  ten  are  missed  by  shooting  too  low.  When,  however, 
the  game  is  flushed  on  the  side  of  a  hill  and  takes  a  downward 
course,  the  point  of  aim  should  then  be  at  the  feet,  or  the  load 
will  pass  over  the  object,  as  it  must  be  recollected  that  the  bird  is 
now  descending — quite  the  opposite  of  its  usual  habit.  To  ob- 
viate the  inconvenience  arising  from  the  smoke  of  the  first  barrel, 
or,  in  other  words,  to  prevent  the  smoke  of  the  first  barrel 
interfering  with  the  shooting  or  sighting  of  the  second  barrel, 
more  particularly  when  a  covey  rises,  we  would  advise  our  readers 
to  get  as  many  cross  shots  as  possible.  This  can  be  done  by 
either  heading  the  dogs  or  by  flushing  the  birds  from  the  side,  and 
not  going  directly  on  the  game  from  the  dogs,  which  practice,  by- 
the-by,  most  generally  is  bad. 

COVEET    SHOOTING. 

In  covert  shooting  the  same  rules  are  applicable  as  we  have 
already  laid  down  for  open  shooting ;  the  only  diff'erence  is,  that 
we  must  be  more  fully  on  the  qui  vive  to  take  advantage  of  all 
and  every  chance,  as  we  often  see  the  bird  for  a  moment  only, 
and  then  it  is  lost  to  our  sight  among  the  trees  or  thick  under- 
wood ;  and,  as  before  remarked,  we  constantly  kill  birds  in  thick 
coppices  without  ever  seeing  them  at  all. 


60  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

A  snap  shot  is  more  successful  in  the  woods  than  a  plain  shot ; 
and  the  reader  should  recollect  that  in  firing  snap  shots  the  fault 
most  generally  committed  is  shooting  under  the  bird,  forgetting 
that  the  bird  is  on  the  rise,  almost  always,  when  first  flushed. 

Never  beat  the  bushes  with  your  gun,  or  you  may  shoot  a 
favorite  dog,  or  perhaps,  what  would  be  a  hundred  times  worse, 
you  may  shoot  a  friend;  the  habit  is  an  unsportsmanlike  and 
dangerous  one,  and  should  never  be  tolerated  in  a  companion. 
You  cannot  be  too  careful  with  your  gun  in  covert  shooting; 
its  position  should  be  watched  with  the  most  jealous  attention, 
and  never  for  one  moment  neglected,  more  especiall}^  if  shooting 
in  company;  for  a  twig  or  a  bough  may  catch  the  hammer  or 
trigger  at  any  moment,  and  commit  perhaps  irreparable  injury 
either  to  yourself  or  friend.  Be  ever  cautious  also  in  climbing 
fences  or  jumping  ditches. 

BOTH  EYES  OPEN. 

Some  shooters  fire  with  both  eyes  wide  open.  This  practice 
is  a  mere  peculiarity  acquired  by  some  ready  shots,  but  which 
does  not  possess  a  single  advantage  over  the  old  style  of  closing 
the  left  eye  to  recommend  it  to  our  notice.  But,  on  the  con- 
trary, we  are  convinced  that  no  one,  except  by  very  long  prac- 
tice, can  shoot  with  the  same  degree  of  certainty  with  both  eyes 
open  as  he  can  when  one  is  shut  in  the  usual  way.  The  manner 
of  acquiring  this  knack  is  to  hold  the  eyes  steadily  upon  the 
object,  bring  the  gun  up  to  the  proper  position,  and  draw  upon 
the  trigger  without  sighting  down  the  barrel,  the  hand  and  finger 
actually  obeying  the  promptings  of  the  eye  without  there  being 
any  actual  collusion,  or,  rather,  concert  of  action,  between  the  two 
organs.  Some  sportsmen,  however,  recommend  the  novice  to 
begin  shooting  with  both  eyes  upon  the  game,  insisting  that  this 
practice  is  the  best.  Although  we  differ  with  these  gentlemen 
upon  this  subject,  we  do  not  wish  our  opinions  to  be  considered 
paramount,  or  more  worthy  of  credence  than  theirs,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  are  willing  to  believe  all  they  say  upon  this  head,  not- 


SHOOTING    ON    THE    WING.  61 

withstanding  our  own  personal  experience  teaches  us  quite  the 
contrary.  For  "snap  shooting"  this  plan  certainly  answers  a 
very  good  purpose;  but  a  "snap  shot"  is  generally  a  very  dis- 
agreeable companion  to  shoot  with,  and  we  would  not  advise  any 
of  our  friends  to  be  ambitious  in  this  particular.  The  birds  are 
usually,  under  the  hands  of  a  "snap  shot,"  horribly  mangled,  and 
frequently  fired  upon  before  his  companion  has  time  to  put  up  his 
piece,  which,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  if  often  repeated,  is  ill-bred 
on  the  part  of  the  shooter  and  mortifying  to  his  companion. 

Although  we  do  not  admire  a  "snap  shot,"  we  trust  that  our 
readers  will  not  understand  us  as  recommending  a  "poking  shot" 
to  their  attention;  for  we  most  heartily  detest  a  "poking  shot," 
who  brings  up  his  gun  ever  and  anon,  and  dwells  upon  his  bird, 
following  it  in  its  course  for  several  yards  before  drawing  the 
trigger,  or  perhaps  takes  his  gun  down  without  firing  at  all,  com- 
placently remarking  "that  he  could  not  cover  it  to  his  satis- 
faction." Such  a  poker  usually  prides  himself  upon  his  excellent 
shooting;  that  is,  notes  down  with  unexampled  minuteness  the 
exact  number  of  shots  he  has  made  in  the  course  of  the  day 
without  missing  a  bird.  Such  kind  of  shooting  we  entirely 
eschew,  and  consider  it  beneath  the  dignity  of  a  true  sportsman ; 
as  for  ourselves,  we  would  rather  miss  three  shots  out  of  five,  all 
day  long,  than  go  pottering  about  in  this  style,  picking  our  shots. 
If  the  art  of  shooting  is  to  be  reduced  to  such  a  systematic  piece 
of  business  that  we  are  never  to  shoot  except  when  we  are  sure  • 
of  killing  our  bird,  we  for  one  would  be  glad  enough  to  abandon 
the  field  altogether,  as  one-half,  if  not  all,  the  pleasurable  excite- 
ment consequent  upon  the  pursuit  of  game  consists  in  the  un- 
certainty, the  doubts,  the  disappointments,  and  hopes,  that  we 
encounter.  If  on  the  one  hand  we  suffer  some  personal  chagrin 
owing  to  our  carelessness  in  missing  a  fair  shot,  we  receive  on  the 
other  hand  double  gratification  in  killing  on  a  doubtful  chance ; 
and  the  results  of  the  day's  shooting  will  always  be  in  favor  of  the 
man  who  shoots  at  all  and  every  chance,  though  he  may  have 
missed  three  times  as  often  as  the  tedious  "potterer." 


62  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

Avail  yourself  of  every  opportunity  to  shoot,  more  particularly 
when  the  birds  are  scattered  in  thick  cover  early  in  the  season,  as 
you  will  acquire  by  this  means  a  knack  of  killing  the  birds  even 
when  they  have  passed  entirely  from  your  sight  behind  the  thick 
foliage.  This  knack  is  a  very  necessary  one  in  early  autumn 
shooting,  before  Jack  Frost  has  sufficiently  nipped  vegetation  with 
his  icy  fingers.  This  kind  of  shooting  requires  considerable  prac- 
tice, a  quick  eye  and  a  ready  hand,  and  is  the  style  of  shooting 
that  all  American  sportsmen  have  to  attain;  and  it  is  in  this 
particular  more  especially  that  they  excel  the  great  field-shots 
of  England.  Most  of  the  shooting  in  the  Atlantic  States  is  done 
in  the  wood  and  thick  cover,  through  which  the  birds  at  some 
seasons  can  scarcely  force  their  way ;  and  we  are  not  astonished 
that  English  sportsmen  speak  so  disparagingly  of  its  pleasures,  as 
partridge  shooting  with  us  is  quite  a  different  affair  from  going  out 
after  them  in  the  rich  stubbles  of  their  preserves ;  and  what  is  still 
worse  for  them,  when  they  have  found  our  birds,  they  discover, 
greatly  to  their  mortification,  that  they  cannot  kill  them  near  as 
often  as  they  do  their  own  varieties,  without  first  serving  some- 
thing of  an  apprenticeship  to  the  sport,  under  the  guidance  of 
some  one  of  their  friends  more  skilled  in  the  craft  of  our  game. 
When  shooting  in  the  open  stubble-fields,  we  are  enabled  to  see 
the  game,  and  correctly  judge  of  position,  distance,  bulk,  &c. ; 
but  in  the  woods  and  coppices  of  our  country  we  do  not  actually 
•  see,  but  learn  to  guess  at  all  these  necessary  circumstances;  and 
that,  too,  without  the  exercise  of  thought  in  the  operation,  if  such 
a  thing  were  possible ;  as  the  arm  in  most  instances  seems  to  obey 
a  sudden  and  irresistible  impulse,  no  time  being  allowed  for  any 
action  of  the  mind  upon  the  subject,  for  in  thicket-shooting  we 
often  kill  birds  without  ever  seeing  them.  The  difficulty  of  killing 
partridges  is  not  the  only  thing  that  the  English  sportsman  has  to 
complain  of,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  following  extract,  taken  from 
the  journal  of  a  traveller  who  appears  to  have  been  both  dis- 
couraged and  disappointed  in  his  expectations  of  sporting  in 
America : — 


SHOOTING    ON    THE    WING.  63 

"  Hares  and  pheasants  there  are  none,  and  partridges  are  scarce; 
woodcocks  and  snipes  are  uncertain,  both  as  to  season  and  situa- 
tion. It  is  true  that  great  quantities  of  other  birds  may  sometimes 
be  killed, — for  instance,  wild  ducks  and  pigeons,  which  are  seen 
occasionally  in  flocks  of  many  miles  in  extent ;  but,  after  all,  and 
much  as  I  have  heard  of  American  shooting,  in  my  opinion  it  is 
poor,  insipid  diversion,  compared  with  the  English,  being  pursued 
without  any  kind  of  system  or  science,  and  reminding  me  more  of 
the  onsets  of  our  mechanics  and  shopmen,  let  loose  at  Christmas 
and  on  holidays,  to  range  the  fields  no  matter  where,  and  pounce 
upon  all,  no  matter  what,  than  of  any  thing  worthy  the  name  of 
shooting.  Let  no  English  sportsman  think  to  better  himself  by 
emigration  in  this  respect.  I'll  answer,  upon  trial,  for  his  total 
disappointment. ' ' 

In  reply  to  the  above,  we  must  say  that  Mr.  Fowler's  remarks 
are  calculated  to  give  his  countrymen  a  very  unjust  and  unfavor- 
able idea  of  sporting  in  the  States.  He  must  have  been  very  un- 
fortunate in  the  selection  of  his  shooting-grounds  when  among  us, 
to  be  forced  to  assert  that  partridges  are  scarce  in  America,  or 
that  woodcocks  and  snipes  are  uncertain  both  as  to  season  and 
situation ;  for  all  three  of  these  birds  are  to  be  found  in  almost 
every  State  of  the  Union  in  considerable  abundance,  at  the  proper 
time,  as  will  be  found  by  referring  to  our  articles  on  these  sub- 
jects. It  would  be  folly  in  us  to  waste  time  in  refuting  all  that 
has  been  said  by  Englishmen  in  reference  to  our  sporting ;  and  we 
therefore  pass  the  matter  over  without  further  comment,  as  we  are 
satisfied  that  the  contents  of  this  book  will  tell  a  difierent  tale  from 
what  many  of  them  have  written.* 


*  What  would  Mr.  Fowler's  readers  think  of  the  following  extract,  taken  from 
one  of  our  daily  Western  papers,  of  March,  1855? — 

*'N.  Powers,  of  Fayette  County,  Iowa,  lately  drove  into  Dubuque  with  a  load  of 
game,  consisting  of  one  thousand  partridges,  one  thousand  prairie-hens,  (grouse,) 
one  hundred  hares,  eight  deers,  five  wolf-skins,  two  bear-skins." 

Or  of  this,  from  the  "Cleveland  Leader:" — 

"Dr.  Short  and  his  son  shot  two  hundred  and  nineteen  English  snipe  in  one  and 
a  half  days  on  the  borders  of  Mud  Creek,  near  the  head  of  Sandusky  Bay.     When 


64  lewis's    AMERICiiN    SPORTSMAN. 

KILLING   CLEAN. 

Be  not  satisfied  with  wounding  your  game  only,  but  aspire  to 
become  a  nice,  clean  shot,  as  it  will  save  you  much  trouble  and 
vexation,  and  make  your  dog  show  to  more  advantage.  For  in- 
stance, if  a  covey  rise,  and  we  wound  two  birds  and  see  them 
fluttering  on  the  ground  before  us,  we  feel  great  anxiety  as  to 
their  fate ;  and,  fearing  lest  they  might  get  off,  or  secrete  them- 
selves so  that  the  dogs  cannot  find  them,  we  can  with  difficulty  sup- 
press the  strong  desire  that  naturally  rises  in  our  mind  to  quit  our 
position,  before  loading,  to  secure  them;  much  less,  then,  can  we 
hope  to  overcome  this  impulsive  inclination  on  the  part  of  our 
dogs.  In  spite  of  repeated  castigations,  the  excited  animals  will 
rush  after  the  fluttering  birds,  and  persist  in  catching  them,  in 
opposition  to  all  our  endeavors ;  and  the  consequence  is  the  flush- 
ing of  one  or  two  laggers,  who  often  remain  behind  when  the 
coveys  spring,  and  both  of  which  might  have  been  bagged  if  our 


we  consider  that  these  birds  are  only  shot  singly,  and  only  on  the  wing,  we  con- 
sider this  extraordinary  shooting.  They  found  the  ducks  rather  scarce,  as  they 
only  bagged  about  fifty  in  two  days." 

Or  this,  from  the  *'  Lancaster  Herald,"  of  Grant  county,  Wisconsin,  of  January, 
1856:— 

"Game  is  very  plenty  with  us,  this  season,  in  all  parts  of  the  State.  Venison 
is  sold  daily  in  our  streets  as  common  as  pork  and  beef,  and  at  the  same  price. 
Prairie-chickens  (pinnated  grouse)  and  pheasants  (ruflfed  grouse)  are  oflfered  for 
sale  by  the  boys  at  our  doors  at  one  dollar  to  one  dollar  and  a  quarter  per  dozen., 
partridges  at  forty  cents  per  dozen,  hares  at  one  dollar  per  dozen,  wild  turkeys 
twenty-five  cents  each." 

Or  this,  from  the  Philadelphia  "North  American,"  of  January,  1856: — 

"Wild  Game  from  the  West. — A  week  ago  two  hundred  boxes  of  partridges, 
averaging,  probably,  one  hundred  birds  to  a  box,  were  shipped  eastward  from 
Janesville,  Wisconsin;  and  a  short  time  previous  to  the  8th  inst.  two  hundred 
deer  were  shot  in  the  neighborhood  of  Sparta,  in  the  same  State,  and  sent  east- 
ward." 

Or  this,  from  the  same  journal,  of  a  little  later  date : — 

"  The  '  Vincennes  Gazette'  notices  the  arrival  at  that  place  of  two  thousand  four 
hundred  hares,  six  barrels  of  partridges,  fourteen  whole  deer,  twenty-five  saddles 
of  venison,  one  hundred  and  forty-four  prairie-hens,  (grouse,)  together  with  wild- 
geese,  wild  ducks,  wild  turkeys,  squirrels,  &c.  &c.  to  an  almost  incredible  extent; 
making,  in  all,  five  wagon-loads." 


SHOOTING    ON    THE    WING.  65 

piece  had  been  loaded.  Much  time  is  also  lost  in  hunting  up 
wounded  birds,  to  say  nothing  of  the  labor  and  worriment  attend- 
ing it ;  for  we  know  nothing  more  provoking  than  to  see  a  bird 
fall  and  flutter  within  a  few  feet  of  us  and  not  be  able  to  lay  our 
hand  upon  it.  Every  bird,  therefore,  should  be  killed  dead  at  from 
twenty-five  to  thirty  paces  and  under,  with  a  good  gun  and  the 
proper  ammunition :  we  occasionally  have  knocked  birds  down  at 
much  greater  distances,  even  as  far  as  fifty,  sixty,  and  seventy 
paces  by  actual  measurement ;  but  we  esteem  all  such  lucky  shots 
as  mere  accidents. 

Not  only  on  the  score  of  vexation  and  trouble  should  the  sports- 
man strive  to  become  a  clean  shot,  but  for  humanity's  sake  also, 
as  a  bungler  in  this  respect  will  mutilate  and  abandon  to  a  linger- 
ing death  more  birds  in  the  course  of  a  day  than  he  will  actually 
bag.  A  bird  with  a  broken  wing  or  a  torn  leg  dangling  from  its 
body  may  live  in  misery  and  pain  for  several  days,  skulking 
about  solitary  and  alone,  half-starved  and  parched  with  thirst,  and 
ultimately  fall  a  victim  to  a  prowling  serpent,  or  be  taken  off  by  a 
hawk  or  some  other  one  of  its  enemies. 

*'As  glory  more  than  gain  allures  the  brave 
To  dare  the  combat  loud  or  louder  wave, 
So  the  ambition  of  the  sportsman  lies 
More  in  the  certain  shot  than  bleeding  prize  ; 
While  poachers,  mindful  of  the  festal  hour, 
Among  the  covey  random  slaughter  pour, 
And,  as  their  number  press  the  crimsoned  ground, 
Regardless  reck  not  of  the  secret  wound. 
Which  borne  away,  the  wretched  victims  lie, 
'Mid  silent  shades,  to  languish  and  to  die. 
Oh  let  your  breasts  such  selfish  views  disclaim, 
And  scorn  the  triumph  of  a  casual  aim ; 
Disdain  such  rapine ;  of  your  skill  be  proud. 
The  object  singling  from  the  scattering  crowd." 


CHAPTER   VI 


THE   PARTRIDGE.      PERDIX   VIRGINIANUS. 

How  beautiful  they  look  !  with  outstretched  tails, 
With  heads  immovable  and  eyes  fast  fixed, 
One  foreleg  raised  and  bent,  the  other  firm, 
Advancing  forward,  presses  on  the  ground." 


I  HIS  beautiful  bird,  so  well  known  and 
eagerly  sought  after  by  all  the  sports- 
men of  our  country,  is  found  in  consider- 
able abundance  in  almost  every  State  of 
the  Union,  extending  from  the  extreme 
parts  of  Canada  even  to  the  southernmost 
banks  of  the  Rio  Grande.  The  inhabit- 
ants of  the  Northern  States  call  it  quail ; 
in  the  Middle  or  Southern  States  it  is  more  familiarly  known  as 
the  partridge,  or  Virginia  partridge. 

The   habits   and   natural   history  of   the   American   partridge 
having   already  been   so    amply   descanted   upon   by  many  able 
66 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  67 

ornithologists  who  have  graced  this  country  by  their  presence  and 
enriched  our  libraries  with  their  splendid  works,  that  it  would  seem 
superfluous,  if  not  really  hopeless,  in  us  to  attempt  to  add  any 
thing  further  upon  a  subject  thus  dwelt  upon  by  others  far  more 
competent  to  the  task.  However,  as  we  propose  bringing  to  the 
notice  of  our  readers  the  practical  experience  of  shooters  in 
general,  in  connection  with  the  more  scientific  observations  and 
researches  of  ornithologists,  regarding  all  those  birds  of  our 
country  which  properly  belong  to  the  sportsman's  catalogue,  we 
must  be  pardoned,  ex  necessitate  rerum^  for  going  over  much 
ground  already  touched  upon  by  other  writers  in  the  many  excel- 
lent works  already  published  on  this  branch  of  Natural  History. 

"The  partridge  is  nine  inches  long,  and  fourteen  inches  in 
extent ;  the  bill  is  black ;  line  over  the  eye,  down  the  neck,  and 
whole  chin  pure  white,  bounded  by  a  band  of  black,  which  de- 
scends and  spreads  broadly  over  the  throat ;  the  eye  is  dark  hazel ; 
down  neck  and  upper  part  of  the  breast,  red-brown ;  sides  of  the 
neck  spotted  with  white  and  black,  on  a  reddish-brown  ground; 
back  scapulars  and  lesser  coverts,  red-brown  intermixed  with  ash 
and  sprinkled  with  black;  tertials  edged  with  yellowish- white, 
beautifully  marked  with  numerous  curving  spots  or  arrowheads  of 
black;  tail,  ash  sprinkled  with  reddish-brown;  legs,  very  pale  ash.' 

The  above  accurate  description,  (as  well  as  the  major  part  of 
the  other  scientific  descriptions  of  birds  in  this  work,)  taken  from 
Wilson,  being  so  perfect  in  itself,  there  remains  nothing  to  add, 
except  that  the  female  bird  is  distinguished  from  the  male  by  its 
diminished  weight  and  size,  and  also  by  its  plumage  being  some- 
what yellowish-brown  about  the  chin  and  sides  of  the  head. 

HABITS. 

Partridges,  in  sections  of  the  country  where  they  are  much 
troubled  by  sportsmen,  become  extremely  shy  and  wild,  seldom 
venturing  far  into  the  open  fields,  but  confining  themselves  to  the 
edges  of  close  cover,  to  which  they  take  at  the  slightest  alarm, 
secreting  themselves  in  the  thickets,  and  not  unfrequently  perch- 


68  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

ing  upon  the  branches  of  the  largest  forest-trees.  The  act  of 
perching  upon  trees  is  not,  however,  a  natural  habit  of  this  bird, 
but  appears  to  be  solely  the  result  of  fright,  or,  perhaps,  a  pre- 
caution of  safety  which  circumstances  have  taught  it  to  adopt  to 
escape  from  its  pursuers.  In  hilly  and  mountainous  districts, 
partridges  are  much  more  apt  to  fly  to  the  trees  than  in  other 
parts ;  and  in  such  a  locality  we  knew  of  a  whole  covey  betaking 
themselves  to  a  tree  and  remaining  there,  perfectly  concealed 
from  view,  for  some  considerable  time,  greatly  to  our  mystification, 
and  that  of  our  dogs  also.* 

In  their  natural  undisturbed  state,  partridges  delight  in  the 
open  country,  frequenting  without  fear  the  stubble-fields  apper- 
taining to  the  well-cultivated  farms  of  our  agriculturists,  where 
they  can  obtain  a  plentiful  supply  of  loose  grain.  The  morning 
and  evening  is  the  time  when  partridges  feed.  When  the  weather 
is  favorable,  they  leave  their  roost  at  an  early  hour  of  the  day, 
and,  being  very  industrious  feeders,  they  are  soon  able  to  retire 
from  the  open  fields  to  some  favorite  and  secluded  spot,  to  bask  in 
the  mid-day  sun  or  roll  themselves  in  the  dust  to  rid  their  plumage 
of  the  vermin  with  which  all  birds  are  more  or  less  infested. 

Partridges  are  not  strictly  migratory  birds,  as  the  greater  portion 
of  them  remain  distributed  throughout  the  northern  portions  of 
our  country  during  the  whole  winter,  and  not  unfrequently  sufier 
immensely  from  the  intense  cold  and  deep  snows;  still,  at  that 
period  of  the  autumn  known  as  the  "running  season,"  large 
numbers  abandon  their  former  haunts,  and,  continuing  along  the 
borders  of  our  rivers,  take  up  their  abode  for  a  time  in  the 
lowlands,  hundreds  of  miles,  perhaps,  from  their  breeding-places. 
Of  this  peculiarity  we  shall,  however,  speak  more  fully  hereafter, 
under  a  separate  head.  In  the  northern  sections  of  our  country, 
the  ground  is  frequently  covered  for  weeks  with  snow;  and,  all 
access  to  food  being  thus  cut  off,  these  poor  birds,  driven  by  stern 


*  In  such  situations,  it  is  not  unusual  to  find  numbers  taking  to  the  trees  when 
frequently  disturbed. 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  69 

necessity,  often  become  quite  tame,  visiting  the  barnyards,  and 
even  mixing  with  the  poultry,  to  gain  a  scanty  subsistence,  which 
not  unfrequently  preserves  them  from  actual  starvation. 

Besides  thus  falling  victims  to  the  inclemency  of  the  weather, 
large  numbers  are  now  destroyed,  not  only  by  the  gun,  but  by  the 
aid  of  traps,  nets,  and  other  ingenious  contrivances ;  and  we  have 
seen,  in  former  times,  the  Philadelphia  markets,  and  the  villages 
of  the  interior,  fairly  overstocked  with  live  birds,  taken  in  various 
ways  by  the  farmer-boys. 

When  this  is  the  case,  it  behooves  every  sportsman  living  in  the 
country,  or  residing  in  the  city,  to  purchase  all  birds  thus  offered 
for  sale,  and  keep  them  till  the  breaking-up  of  the  winter,  when 
they  may  be  let  loose  upon  a  friend's  estate,  or  turned  out  into 
some  neighborhood  where  he  is  in  the  habit  of  shooting,  and 
where,  from  the  nature  of  the  country,  they  will  be  apt  to  remain 
during  the  breeding  season.  By  pursuing  this  course,  the  pro- 
vident sportsman  will  be  richly  repaid  for  all  his  trouble  and 
humanity,  at  the  coming  shooting  season,  by  the  number  of  birds 
that  will  thus  be  produced  in  some  favorite  shooting  locality,  as 
the  fecundity  of  the  partridge  is  extraordinary,  and  the  coveys 
raised  from  a  few  couples  of  old  birds,  in  a  favorable  season,  will 
be  sufficient  to  afford  sport  for  several  days'  moderate  shooting. 

PERIOD    OF   PAIRING. 

Partridges  commence  pairing  in  the  month  of  March,  early  or 
late,  according  to  the  state  of  the  weather;  and,  even  after  sepa- 
rating for  the  purposes  of  procreation,  it  is  not  unusual  for  them 
to  reassemble  in  coveys  as  before,  provided  the  weather  should 
again  become  stormy  and  cold,  as  is  often  the  case  in  our  change- 
able climate.  There  is  no  doubt  but  there  are  more  male  birds 
hatched  than  females ;  and  this  rather  singular  circumstance  gives 
rise  to  fierce  battles  between  the  cock  birds  for  the  possession  of 
the  hens  at  the  coupling  season ;  and  to  such  extent  are  these 
encounters  carried  that  they  sometimes  result  in  the  death  of  one 
or  both  of  the  rival  combatants.     This  fact  is  so  well  established 


70  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

in  the  English  variety,  that  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  for  the 
owners  of  some  choice  preserves  to  have  the  partridges  on  their 
manors  netted,  soon  after  the  pairing  season,  and  to  destroy  the 
surplus  males,  or  old  bachelors,  as  they  are  facetiously  termed. 
This  precaution  prevents  those  strifes,  and  at  the  same  time  in- 
sures a  larger  produce  of  young  birds ;  for,  if  the  female  be  pur- 
sued by  several  cocks  during  the  period  of  incubation,  she  has  no 
opportunity  to  form  a  nest,  but  drops  her  eggs  about  in  various 
places,  no  two,  perhaps,  together.  Partridges  generally  complete 
their  nests  in  five  or  six  weeks  after  pairing.  A  small  tuft  of 
grass,  sheltered  by  a  bush  or  a  tree,  the  corner  of  a  worm  fence, 
or  the  foot  of  an  old  stump,  are  the  spots  usually  selected  for  the 
building  of  their  nests,  which  are  composed  of  leaves,  dry  grass, 
and  a  few  feathers  plucked  from  her  own  person.  The  little 
habitation  is  rudely  but  often  ingeniously  constructed ;  and,  being 
so  nicely  concealed  from  observation,  it  not  unfrequently  bids 
defiance  to  the  searching  glances  of  the  most  inquisitive  eye,  as 
well  as  affording  ample  protection  on  every  side  from  the  incle- 
n^ency  of  the  weather.  The  eggs  are  white,  and  average  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  in  number,  and,  in  some  rare  instances,  greatly 
exceed  that  quantity.  If  the  birds  be  in  their  prime,  and  tlite 
season  very  favorable,  it  is  not  improbable  that  the  hen  may 
deposit  twenty-five  or  even  thirty  eggs ;  but  such  cases  are  anoma- 
lies; and  we  should  be  more  disposed  to  attribute  the  unusual 
increase  of  eggs  to  an  occasional  propensity  that  some  birds  have 
of  laying  in  each  other's  nests.  Mr.  Daniel,  speaking  of  the 
amazing  fecundity  of  the  English  partridge,  which  is  closely  allied 
to  our  species,  states  that  a  nest  was  discovered  with  thirty-three 
eggs  in  it,  another  with  twenty-eight,  and  another  with  thirty- 
three.  The  greatest  number  we  have  ever  seen  in  the  nest  of  the 
American  bird  is  twenty-four;  but  we  have  often  been  told  by 
farm  hands  that  twenty-five  is  no  unusual  number.  For  the  truth 
of  these  vague  assertions  we  cannot,  however,  vouch.  The  period 
of  incubation  is  about  twenty-one  days.  Some  contend  for  a  longer 
period;    but  we  believe  the  former  statement  the  more  correct, 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  71 

although,  in  proof  of  the  latter  assertion,  it  has  been  argued  that 
it  requires  four  weeks  to  hatch  the  eggs  when  placed  under  a 
common  hen.  This,  however,  proves  nothing,  as  the  disparity  in 
the  time  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  circumstance  of  the  par- 
tridge setting  much  closer  than  the  domestic  fowl,  and,  conse- 
quently, generating  a  larger  amount,  if  not  a  higher  degree,  of 
animal  heat. 

The  hen  bird  during  the  period  of  incubation  becomes  quite 
poor,  and  undergoes  the  process  of  a  partial  moult,  which  provides 
a  few  downy  feathers  to  assist  in  keeping  the  eggs  warm  during 
her  absence  from  the  nest  in  quest  of  food.  The  young  birds 
are  quite  strong  when  they  first  burst  from  their  narrow  confines ; 
and  it  is  no  very  uncommon  thing  for  them  to  be  seen  running 
about  with  a  portion  of  the  shell  adhering  to  their  backs.  While 
the  hen  is  setting,  and  even  after  the  birds  are  hatched,  her  mate 
may  often  be  seen  early  in  the  mornings,  or  late  in  the  afternoons, 
perched  on  a  fence-rail  or  low  limb  of  a  tree,  whistling  with  all 
diligence  for  a  half  hour  at  a  time,  as  if  to  cheer  the  female  in 
her  arduous  and  solitary  duties.  Partridges  are  strictly  mono- 
gamous ;  and  it  is  supposed  by  some  that  the  cock  assists  the  hen 
in  covering  the  nest;  and  we  incline  to  the  opinion  that  these 
birds,  in  common  with  many  others,  do  share  the  cares  of  hatch- 
ing the  little  brood. 

If  the  weather  remains  dry  and  mild  after  hatching,  the  young 
birds  will  be  able  to  fly  in  the  course  of  three  or  four  weeks ;  if, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  season  should  be  backward  and  inclement, 
the  tender  little  brood  gains  strength  but  slowly,  and  great  numbers 
consequently  will  fall  victims  to  the  damp  and  cold  while  being 
led  about  in  search  of  food. 

LEAVING  THE   NEST. 

As  soon  as  the  anxious  mother  abandons  the  nest,  attended  by 
her  nimble  little  progeny,  she  is  joined  by  the  cock  partridge,  who 
gives  all  his  attention  to  the  searching  for  food  and  protecting 
the  active  little  brood  from  any  danger  that  may  beset  them.     At 


72  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

I 
the  first  alarm,  the  young  bh'ds  instinctively  skulk  in  the  deep 
grass  and  remain  perfectly  motionless,  while  the  old  ones  resort  to 
every  artifice  within  their  power  to  w^ard  off  the  impending  danger. 

It  is  interesting  to  observe  the  earnest  solicitude  with  which 
both  the  parents  watch  over  their  young,  and  the  wonderful 
instinct  they  exhibit  in  guarding  them  when  surprised  by  the 
huntsman  before  they  are  sufficiently  fledged  to  fly  ofi".  The  old 
birds  take  to  the  wing,  and  the  young  ones  run  with  all  speed  into 
the  nearest  thicket,  or  conceal  themslves  in  the  brushwood,  or  long 
grass  that  abounds  at  this  season  on  their  feeding-grounds.  The 
hen,  after  flying  a  few  hundred  yards,  alights,  and  returns  by  a 
circuitous  route  to  the  place  she  just  abandoned;  and,  calling 
in  subdued  tones,  she  soon  collects  around  her  the  scattered  pro- 
geny, and  quickly  leads  them  off  from  the  scene  of  danger.  The 
cock  partridge  at  the  same  time  is  using  every  effort  to  distract 
the  attention  of  the  intruder  by  flying  or  rather  tumbling  con- 
fusedly before  him,  running  along  the  ground,  hanging  his  wings, 
fluttering  as  if  badly  wounded  and  unable  to  escape  his  every 
grasp.  By  such  like  artifices,  the  male  bird  strives  to  delude  the 
eager  observer,  and  deceive,  perchance,  his  no  less  anxious  dog; 
for,  leading  them  both  away,  step  by  step,  from  the  young  covey, 
sufficient  time  is  gained  for  the  female  to  perform  her  important 
task.  When  the  danger  is  passed,  the  hen  bird,  by  her  joyful  call, 
directs  the  mate  to  her  retreat. 

It  is  not  only  in  devices  of  this  kind  that  partridges  display 
a  strong  and  lively  affection  for  their  young,  but  where  there  ap- 
pears a  probability  of  success  they  will  not  hesitate  to  attack  any 
enemy  that  assails  them ;  and  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  for  the  old 
ones  to  be  seen  flying  up  at  hawks,  or  other  birds  of  prey,  scream- 
ing and  fighting  with  all  vigor  to  defend  their  helpless  offspring. 
Several  years  ago  we  witnessed  a  desperate  battle  between  a  cock 
partridge  and  a  black  snake,  which  rather  singular  combat  would, 
however,  have  soon  proved  fatal  to  the  former  if  we  had  not  so 
opportunely  come  to  his  rescue,  as  the  serpent  had  already  caught 
the  exhausted  bird  by  the  wing ;  and  so  deadly  was  the  grasp  that 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  73 

he  even  held  on  to  his  affrighted  but  nevertheless  courageous  vic- 
tim after  we  had  broken  his  back  with  a  blow  from  a  large  stick. 
On  searching  around  in  the  grass,  we  discovered  two  very  young 
partridges,  somewhat  mutilated,  and  nearly  dead ;  both  of  which, 
no  doubt,  had  been  seized  by  his  snakeship  as  a  dainty  meal,  which 
he  was  not,  however,  permitted  to  enjoy,  owing  to  the  bold  attack 
of  the  parent  bird. 

Such  encounters  between  birds  and  serpents,  we  are  convinced, 
are  not  uncommon,  but  of  daily  occurrence,  as  few  of  us  at  all 
familiar  with  country  life  but  have  witnessed  like  incidents  in  our 
rambles  over  the  fields.  We  also  believe  that  similar  conflicts  be- 
tween the  parent  birds  and  these  ruthless  desecrators  of  their  nests 
have  given  rise  to  the  popular  fallacy  that  snakes  possess  the 
power  of  charming  birds,  or,  in  other  words,  transfixing  or  draw- 
ing them  within  their  reach  by  the  use  of  certain  mesmeric  manipu- 
lations of  their  tongue  and  eyes.  We  give  no  credit  whatever  to 
this  boasted  power  of  fascination  on  the  part  of  snakes,  but  regard 
it  as  one  of  those  vulgar  errors  which  spring  up  in  the  minds  of  the 
ignorant,  from  their  inability  to  explain  or  investigate  many  of  the 
everyday  phenomena  of  nature. 

Dr.  S.  Gilman,  the  author  of  a  very  interesting  article  on  the 
Venom  of  Serpents,  published  in  the  St.  Louis  Medical  Journal,  is 
a  firm  believer  in  the  occult  power  possessed  by  serpents  of  fasci- 
nating small  animals,  and  hints  at  the  probability  of  the  king-snake 
exercising  some  power  besides  mere  physical  force  by  which  he 
overcomes,  even  when  fangless,  the  most  venomous  of  his  fellow- 
reptiles. 

Dr.  Gilman  states  that  he  succeeded  in  making  seven  venomous 
serpents  fraternize  and  dwell  amicably  in  one  den.  A  beautiful 
pair  of  long-bodied  king-snakes,  known  to  be  fangless,  and  conse- 
quently without  venom,  were  duly  installed  as  members  of  the 
family.  The  older  members  manifested  some  uneasiness,  but  made 
no  attempt  to  destroy  the  intruders ;  and  the  next  morning  four 
of  the  venomous  serpents  were  found  dead,  and  a  fifth  was  gasping 
in  the  suffocating  coils  of  the  king-snakes.     The  two  others  re- 


74  lewis's   ameeican  sportsman. 

mained  stupid  and  apparently  indifferent  to  their  fate,  and  could 
not  be  made  to  offer  the  slightest  resistance  to  their  enemies.  One 
of  the  king-snakes  was  afterwards  inoculated  with  the  poison  of  a 
rattlesnake  which  he  had  destroyed,  and  died  immediately,  thus 
evincing  that  they  must  have  exercised  some  power  besides  physical 
force  to  overcome  their  fellow-reptiles. 

M.  Raspail  explains  the  mystery  of  fascination,  apparently  very 
much  to  his  own  satisfaction,  by  supposing  the  serpent  to  possess 
the  power  of  emitting  two  streams  of  a  poisonous  and  stupefying 
gas — ^^one  on  each  side  of  its  mouth — which  proceed  to  unite  above 
the  head  of  the  bird,  producing  asphyxia,  &c.  &c. 

DOMESTICATION. 

The  wild  nature  of  the  partridge  renders  its  domestication  almost 
impossible,  though  in  some  instances,  where  the  eggs  have  been 
placed  under  the  common  hen,  they  have  been  hatched  and  reared 
with  as  much  success  as  if  the  progeny  were  of  her  own  species. 
The  young  brood,  however,  though  perfectly  familiar  with  all  the 
other  occupants  of  the  farmyard,  and  apparently  reconciled  to 
their  unnatural  mode  of  life,  still  exhibited  the  wandering  and 
restless  disposition  of  their  race,  and  in  most  instances  have  flown 
away  to  their  native  haunts  at  the  pairing  season  of  the  following 
year.  The  American  partridge,  in  common  with  those  of  other 
countries,  cannot  bear  close  confinement ;  they  may  appear  for  a 
time  to  thrive,  still,  if  too  much  restricted  in  their  movements,  in- 
variably die.  We  unfortunately,  during  the  last  winter,  lost  seve- 
ral fine  birds  that  were  presented  to  us  by  our  friend  G.  D. 
Wetherill,  Esq.,  owing,  we  suppose,  to  the  smallness  of  the  cage 
in  which  we  had  temporarily  placed  them. 

TWO    BROODS. 

It  is  a  common  opinion  among  sportsmen  that  the  partridge 
produces  two  broods  during  each  season.  Whether  this  be  true  or 
not,  we  are  not  prepared  to  say  positively ;  but  one  thing  is  cer- 
tain, that  the  hen  is  often  discovered  setting  during  July,  in  our 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  75 

Middle  States,  and  birds  too  small  to  be  shot  are  constantly  met 
with  in  October,  and  even  in  November. 

This  circumstance  may  nevertheless  be  accounted  for  on  other 
grounds,  as  it  is  well  known  that  the  female,  if  disturbed  during 
the  period  of  incubation,  or  the  eggs  be  destroyed  by  some  one  of 
her  many  enemies,  will  build  another  nest  and  commence  setting 
afresh.  We  do  not  doubt,  however,  that,  independent  of  these 
accidents,  in  a  very  favorable  season  the  hen  may  be  induced  occa- 
sionally to  raise  two  broods  of  young,  more  particularly  in  the 
Southern  States ;  but  we  are  not  inclined  to  believe  the  habit  a 
natural  instinct  of  the  bird,  and  rather  attribute  these  instances  to 
causes  such  as  above  enumerated. 

The  period  of  warm  weather  in  the  Middk  and  Northern  States 
is  rather  too  short  to  allow  partridges  generally  to  raise  two  broods 
in  a  season ;  and,  if  they  should  succeed  in  hatching  them,  the 
second  brood,  being  small  and  delicate,  and  not  sufficiently  well 
grown  before  the  cool  weather  sets  in,  are  unable  to  endure  the 
rigors  of  our  boisterous  winters,  and  consequently  soon  perish, 
either  from  want  of  food  or  exposure.  These  are  the  birds  which 
are  first  caught  in  traps  and  sent  to  market. 

FULL-GROWN. 

The  birds,  being  full-grown  towards  the  close  of  September,  will 
be  found  associated  in  coveys  from  ten  to  twenty-five;  and,  in 
portions  of  the  country  where  food  is  plenty,  much  larger  coveys 
may  be  met  with,  perhaps  two  or  three  broods  joining  together  in 
perfect  harmony.  The  call  of  the  male  bird  during  the  season  of 
love,  which  is  thought  to  resemble  the  notes  produced  by  pro- 
nouncing the  words  Ah  Bob  White  in  slow  and  measured  time,  is 
now  seldom  heard  except  when  the  covey  is  flushed  and  separated ; 
and  then  this  plaintive  call,  in  connection  with  the  usual  cry  of 
the  species,  will  be  recognised  at  occasional  intervals,  collecting 
the  terrified  members  of  the  family  together  again.  The  call  of 
the  partridge  is  a  clear  whistle,  composed  of  three  notes ;  the  first 
clear,  loud,  and  sonorous;   the  second  less  loud,  and  the  third. 


76  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTS  MAX. 

though  louder  than  the  second,  not  as  loud  as  the  first.  These 
call-notes  are  perfectly  familiar  to  every  sportsman,  as  they  are 
often  resorted  to,  to  decoy  the  poor  birds  from  their  lurking-places. 
If  the  birds  be  young,  they  will  soon  reassemble  or  be  decoyed  by 
the  imitative  whistle  of  the  sportsman;  if,  however,  they  be  old 
and  cunning,  each  one  will  remain  perfectly  quiet  for  a  long  time, 
and  not  venture  to  call  each  other  till  towards  the  close  of  the  day, 
when  all  danger  is  removed.  A  low,  twittering  sound  is  frequently 
heard  issuing  from  a  covey  when  terrified  and  about  to  spring 
from  before  the  dog ;  this  sound  somewhat  resembles  the  chirping 
of  a  brood  of  young  chickens  when  nestling  themselves  under  their 
mother's  wings  towards  nightfall. 

ROOSTING. 

Partridges,  when  pursued,  as  before  stated,  generally  take  to 
the  woods  and  thickets  for  protection ;  but  instinct  and  long  habit, 
on  the  other  hand,  have  taught  them  that  the  open  plain  is  a  more 
secure  place  for  roosting  during  the  night,  and  consequently  they 
almost  invariably  choose  a  little  mound  of  rising  ground  in  the 
centre  of  a  cleared  or  stubble-field  for  this  purpose. 


I 


To  afi'ord  greater  security  and  prevent  a  surprise,  we  imagine, 
partridges  roost  in  a  circle,  with  their  heads  all  turned  outwards, 
and  their  tails  joining  each  other  in  such  a  manner  that  they  pre- 
sent a  guard  on  every  side ;  and  when  thus  disturbed  the  whole 
covey  are  enabled  to  fly  off  in  a  direct  course  without  interfering 
with  each  other.     If  undisturbed,  they  are  apt  to  resort  to  the 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  77 

same  spot  for  several  successive  nights.  We  have  often  observed 
these  birds  arranged  in  this  curious  manner,  and,  when  kept  up 
during  winter  in  cages,  thej  will  be  found  to  place  themselves  in 
this  position  every  night  about  roosting-time,  or  even  when  huddling 
together  during  the  day. 

FOOD. 

The  partridge  is  granivorous,  and,  in  the  words  of  the  old  poet — 

"Soon  as  the  lab'ring  horse,  with  swelling  veins, 
Hath  safely  housed  the  farmer's  doubtful  gains. 
To  sweet  repast  the  unwary  partridge  flies, 
With  joy  amid  the  scattered  harvest  lies ;" 

thus  delighting  in  the  open  and  cultivated  districts,  feeding  upon 
all  and  every  species  of  grain,  and  thought  to  be  particularly  par- 
tial to  buckwheat.  Some  suppose  that  birds  shot  from  the  stubble 
of  this  latter  grain  are  superior  in  flavor  to  any  others.  Mr. 
Skinner,  we  find,  is  of  this  opinion;  and  we  are  also  disposed  to 
agree  with  this  accomplished  sportsman,  although  we  must  acknow- 
ledge that,  in  making  the  assertion,  we  may  be  arrogating  to  our- 
selves too  great  a  nicety  in  the  gastronomic  art;  for  the  delicacy 
of  these  birds  is  such  that  it  is,  perhaps,  impossible  to  draw  so 
nice  a  distinction  regarding  their  flavor,  no  matter  where  shot,  in 
the  fore  part  of  the  season. 

Partridges  are  very  fond  of  Indian  corn,  and  in  a  state  of  cap- 
tivity we  have  seen  them  eat  it  in  preference  to  all  other  kinds  of 
grain  save  buckwheat.  They  are  not,  however,  as  often  met  with 
in  the  cornfields  during  the  shooting  season  as  they  are  in  the 
wheat-stubbles ;  but  this  may  be  attributed,  in  a  great  measure,  to 
the  want  of  sufficient  cover  in  the  former,  rather  than  any  greater 
partiality  for  the  latter.  Small  insects,  ants,  grasshoppers,  &c. 
are  eagerly  sought  after  by  these  birds ;  and  in  the  midst  of  winter, 
when  the  ground  is  entirely  shrouded  for  many  inches  in  depth 
with  snow,  partridges  as  well  as  grouse  are  forced  to  eat  the  fruit, 
leaves,  and  tender  buds  of  the  mountain  laurel,  (kalmia  latifolia.) 


78  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

This  well-known  evergreen  flourishes  in  every  section  of  our 
country,  being  particularly  abundant  on  the  sides  of  hills  and 
mountains.  There  is  also  another  variety,  known  as  marsh  laurel, 
(kalmia  glauca,)  that  inhabits  the  lowlands  and  possesses  nearly 
the  same  properties  as  the  other  species.  Some  animals  partake 
of  these  evergreens  with  impunity,  while  others  are  fatally  poisoned 
by  the  use  of  them.  The  partridge  and  grouse  both  eat  of  their 
foliage  and  berries  without  any  ill  consequences  to  themselves ;  but 
their  flesh,  it  is  said,  has  often  been  poisoned  to  such  an  extent 
by  long  indulgence  in  this  food,  that  death,  in  some  rare  instances, 
has  resulted  from  persons  partaking  of  them  while  in  this  noxious 
state. 

Doctor  Shoemaker  published,  some  time  back,  an  account  of 
two  cases  of  poisoning  arising  from  the  eating  of  a  pheasant 
whose  craw  was  stuffed  with  laurel-leaves  when  shot.  The  most 
prominent  symptoms  in  these  cases  were  intolerable  nausea,  partial 
blindness,  severe  pain  in  the  head,  difficult  breathing,  feeble  pulse, 
&c.  Great  relief  was  obtained  for  these  unfortunate  patients  by 
the  free  exhibition  of  mustard  and  warm  water,  in  quantities 
sufficient  to  provoke  vigorous  vomiting. 

OLD  AND  YOUNG   BIRDS. 

The  bills  of  young  birds  are  soft  and  brown,  the  legs  yellowish 
or  bluish  white ;  the  old  birds  have  hard  black  bills,  and  legs  dark 
and  scaly.  The  young  birds  are  somewhat  smaller  than  the  old 
and  full-grown  ones  of  the  previous  season.  In  some  sections  of 
country  partridges  seem  to  thrive  and  grow  much  larger  than  in 
other  parts.  Those  shot  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Tapahannock 
marshes,  in  the  State  of  Delaware,  are  generally  very  heavy  and 
remarkably  fine  birds. 

Geo.  D.  Wetherill,  Esq. — a  zealous  and  ardent  sportsman,  by- 
the-by — informs  us  that  he  once  shot,  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Mount  Holly,  New  Jersey,  ten  brace  of  birds  that  averaged  eight 
ounces  each. 


THE     PARTRIDGE.  79 

THEIR   NUMBERS   IN   DIFFERENT   LOCALITIES. 

After  a  favorable  season,  partridges  are  found  in  abundance 
throughout  the  Southern,  Middle,  and  Western  States ;  and,  if  the 
reports  of  those  who  have  gunned  in  the  West  can  be  relied  on 

their  numbers  in  these  latter  territories  must  be  enormous, quite 

beyond  any  idea  we  have  of  them  in  the  Atlantic  States.  We 
have  never  yet  been  so  unfortunate  as  to  meet  with  partridges,  on 
any  of  our  shooting  excursions,  in  such  large  bodies  as  necessarily 
to  destroy,  by  their  superabundance,  all  zest  for  hunting  them; 
and  we  are  rejoiced  that  there  is  only  a  comfortable  scarcity  in 
these  localities,  at  all  events  a  scarcity  sufficient  to  make  us  all 
work  hard  and  exercise  a  becoming  skill  in  both  hunting  and 
shooting  our  game,  which  excitement,  by-the-by,  constitutes  the 
chief  pleasure  attending  the  sports  of  the  dog  and  gun. 

The  mere  sallying  out  in  a  country  overrun  with  birds,  and 
sauntering  lazily  about  for  a  few  hours,  loading  and  firing  with 
little  or  no  discrimination  or  exercise  of  skill  in  hunting  up  the 
game,  remind  us  very  strongly  of  the  battues  in  the  overstocked 
manors  of  the  Old  World,  or  perhaps  the  tameness  of  a  pigeon- 
shooting  in  our  own  country. 

DIFFERENCE   BETWEEN   THE   ENGLISH   AND   AMERICAN   BIRD. 

The  American  partridge  differs  from  the  English  variety  in 
several  particulars,  although  it  greatly  resembles  it  in  habits  and 
disposition.  It  is  smaller  by  one-third  than  the  English;  the 
plumage  is  somewhat  different,  and  the  call  entirely  dissimilar ;  its 
flesh,  however,  is  equally  white  and  delicate. 

We  received  a  couple  of  brace  of  English  partridges,  a  few  days 
since,  from  a  friend  residing  in  the  mother-country ;  they  arrived  in 
good  condition,  and,  we  should  think,  were  remarkably  fine  speci- 
mens, as  they  weighed  1  lb.  13  oz.  each  brace.  The  wings  struck  us  as 
being  singularly  small  and  short  for  the  size  of  the  body.  We  invited 
some  of  our  sporting  friends  to  be  participators  in  this  rather 
novel  and  rare  feast ;  and  we  believe  that  they  were  unanimous  in 


80  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

pronouncing  them  not  superior,  but  rather  inferior,  to  our  native 
bird  in  point  of  delicacy  of  flavor ;  and,  furthermore,  we  all  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  we  could  knock  them  down^  right  and  left, 
like  smoke,  if  we  were  once  let  loose  in  the  overstocked  preserves 
of  "merry  old  England." 

AMERICAN   PARTRIDGE  NOT  A   QUAIL. 

It  has  been  stated  that  the  Perdix  Virginianus  is  more  closely 
allied  to  the  European  quail  than  to  the  English  partridge ;  but 
such  is  not  the  fact,  as  the  partridge  of  our  country  resembles  the 
quail  in  no  one  particular  save  in  the  habit  of  partial  emigration 
that  it  exhibits  every  autumn  at  the  running  season.  The  meat 
of  the  European  quail  is  dark,  and  oftentimes  loaded  with  fat, 
while  that  of  the  partridge  is  wliite,  and  invariably  lean.  This 
alone  is  almost  sufficient  to  establish  the  difference  between  the 
two  birds.  Another  circumstance  still  more  striking  in  the  habits 
of  these  two  birds,  and  better  calculated  to  prove  most  conclusively 
the  difference  between  the  two  species,  is  the  well-known  fact  that 
our  partridge  is  monogamous,  while  the  quail  is  polygamous. 
Although  the  American  partridge  may  be  termed  a  hardy  bird,  in 
one  sense  of  the  word,  the  quail  is  still  more  so,  as  it  depends 
almost  entirely  on  itself  for  support,  even  a  few  days  after  being 
hatched;  and,  if  kept  among  others  of  its  own  brood  for  a  few 
weeks,  fights  most  obstinately,  the  battle  frequently  ending  in  the 
death  of  one  of  the  combatants.  As  early  as  four  months  old, 
the  young  quails  are  sufficiently  strong  to  accompany  their  parents 
on  their  distant  migratory  flights.  Quails  seldom  form  themselves 
into  coveys.  The  cock  bird  being  polygamous,  and  at  the  same 
time  very  salacious,  confines  his  attentions  to  no  particular  mate, 
and  consequently  assists  but  little,  if  any,  either  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  nest  or  the  care  of  the  young  brood.  The  quail  is  also 
less  prolific  than  the  partridge.  When  quails  migrate,  they 
assemble  together  in  large  numbers;  but,  as  soon  as  they  arrive 
at  their  destination,  they  separate,  each  seeking  his  own  food  and 
guarding  his  own  safety;  they  travel  invariably  at  night.     How 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  81 

widely  different  is  all  this  from  the  habits  of  our  bird !  And  still 
further  dissimilarity,  no  doubt,  might  be  remarked  if  the  subject 
had  been  properly  considered  by  those  more  conversant  from 
actual  observation  with  the  point  of  contention  than  we  pretend 
to  be. 

The  quail  may  also  be  termed,  in  some  respects,  a  nocturnal 
bird,  and  in  this  particular  also  differs  from  the  partridge.  The 
migrations  of  the  quail,  as  before  stated,  are  almost  entirely  per- 
formed during  the  hours  of  darkness,  and,  by  way  of  compen- 
sating nature  for  this  loss  of  repose  during  the  hours  allotted  to 
it,  most  generally  sleeps  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  which  time  is 
always  occupied  by  the  partridge  in  scratching  and  pruning  his 
plumage.  This  being  the  case,  we  trust  the  American  sportsman 
hereafter  will  give  our  partridge  its  proper  appellation  and  rank, 
and  no  longer  confound  it  with  the  quail,  a  bird  far  inferior 
whether  in  the  field  or  on  the  table. 

Although  the  ancient  Athenians  eagerly  sought  after  and  even 
reared  quails  for  the  purpose  of  employing  them  in  combat  with 
each  other,  they  were  not  esteemed  as  an  article  of  food,  but,  on 
the  other  hand,  were  erroneously  considered  unwholesome,  from  the 
circumstance  of  their  feeding  on  hellebore.  This  vulgar  notion, 
as  many  others  of  like  character,  is  now  entirely  exploded. 

RUNNING    SEASON. 

At  the  commencement  of  autumn,  the  partridges  of  America 
abandon  the  high  grounds,  and  resort,  in  immense  numbers,  to  the 
large  river-courses,  where  they  remain  for  a  few  weeks,  and  then 
travel  back  to  their  former  haunts.  At  this  period  the  birds  are 
said  to  be  running  or  travelling,  and  will  not  lie  to  a  dog ;  and  to 
pursue  them  is  lost  time,  as  it  will  be  found  utterly  impossible  to 
keep  up  with  them,  no  matter  with  what  speed  you  attempt  it.  In 
the  fall  of  1845,  we,  in  company  with  a  brother  sportsman,  en- 
countered an  immense  drove  of  these  running  birds  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Elk  River.  When  first  discovered,  they  appeared  to 
be  holding  a  conference  as  to  the  proposed  route  they  should  take, 


82  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

or  perhaps  quarrelling  with  their  leaders  as  to  the  propriety  of 
proceeding  farther  on,  as  they  had  all  come  to  a  stand  in  a  se- 
cluded little  hollow  on  the  borders  of  a  pine  forest,  and  were  all 
whistling  and  twittering  as  fast  and  as  loud  as  possible,  insomuch 
that  we  distinctly  heard  the  general  turmoil  at  a  distance  of  seve- 
ral hundred  yards.  Upon  approaching  to  ascertain  the  cause  of 
this  rather  unusual  noise,  the  whole  company  took  to  their  heels 
in  double  quick  time,  hundreds  running  up  the  opposite  bank  of 
the  hollow  and  disappearing  in  a  few  moments  in  the  thick  forest 
of  pines  and  underwood.  We  followed  on  after  them  for  a  short 
time,  but  neither  ourselves  nor  dogs  were  able  to  keep  up  with 
their'  retreating  ranks.  This  company  of  voyagers,  we  should 
think,  contained  several  hundred  individuals,  and  was  the  largest 
party  we  ever  met  with.  These  migrations  of  partridges  to  the 
sea-coast  and  river-shores  are  performed  almost  exclusively  on 
foot,  as  they  seldom  or  never  fly,  except  perchance  to  cross  a  small 
rivulet  which  opposes  a  barrier  to  their  onward  progress.  The 
cause  of  these  migrations  is  not  satisfactorily  explained  by  writers, 
if,  in  fact,  any  have  attempted  the  solution  of  this  rather  myste- 
rious movement  on  the  part  of  these  birds.  We  do  not  know  what 
to  attribute  it  to,  and  are  even  at  a  loss  to  venture  an  opinion.  If 
the  birds  did  not  commence  running  quite  so  early  in  the  season, 
we  might  be  disposed  to  believe  that  a  scarcity  of  food  in  their 
previous  haunts  impelled  them  to  wander  in  search  of  it  in  distant 
localities,  like  others  of  the  feathered  race ;  but  this  can  hardly 
be  the  motive,  as  they  are  found  on  these  excursions  as  early  as 
October,  when  the  weather  is  not  often  sufficiently  severe  to  shut 
up  the  usual  channels  of  food,  but,  on  the  contrary,  is  generally 
such  as  is  most  congenial  to  the  habits  of  the  bird. 

FLIGHT   OF  THE   PARTRIDGE. 

The  partridge,  when  full-grown,  is  a  very  vigorous  and  powerful 
bird,  flying  with  great  rapidity,  and,  like  others  of  the  gallina- 
ceous order,  when  on  the  wing,  makes  a  loud  whirring  noise,  which 
often  not  a  little  disconcerts  the  tyro,  who,  alarmed  at  the  sudden 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  83 

springing  of  a  large  covey,  knows  not  where  to  turn  or  in  what 
direction  to  point  his  gun.  This  startling — ^but,  to  the  ear  of  a 
sportsman,  agreeable — sound  is  produced  by  the  shortness,  con- 
cavity, and  rapid  motion  of  the  wings,  as  they  fly  by  a  succession 
of  quick  flaps,  and  then  sail  till  nearing  the  ground,  when  they 
break  their  fall  by  a  few  more  flaps.  When  partridges  rise  on 
wing  of  their  own  free  will,  the  whole  covey  takes  the  same 
course;  when  disturbed,  they  all  seek  safety  by  separating. 
When  compared  with  the  weight  of  the  body,  there  are  few,  if 
any,  game-birds,  in  any  portion  of  the  globe,  that  fly  with  the 
same  rapidity  or  force,  and  consequently  require  such  quick  action 
on  the  part  of  the  sportsman,  as  the  partridge  of  America.  They 
spring  suddenly,  and  dart  off  with  a  celerity  and  regularity  of 
purpose  that  appears  almost  impossible  for  any  bird  to  possess, 
pursuing  a  rapid  and  headlong  flight  through  the  mazes  of  our 
thickest  forests  and  impenetrable  coverts ;  and  we  hardly  suppose 
that  any  of  our  brother  sportsmen  ever  saw  one  of  these  birds 
either  entangled  or  otherwise  impeded  in  its  progress  through  the 
rank  and  poisonous  vines  that  so  often  intercept  the  flight  of  other 
less  strong  and  clear-sighted  birds.  The  American  bird  flies  with 
much  more  vehemence,  and  to  much  greater  distances,  than  the 
English  variety.  It  is  no  uncommon  thing  for  sportsmen  to  see 
whole  coveys,  when  wild  from  frequent  flushing,  take  wing  and  fly 
entirely  out  of  sight  over  the  highest  of  our  forest-trees.  The 
English  bird  is  stationary,  and  has  neither  the  inclination  nor 
strength  sufficient  for  migrating  from  one  portion  of  the  country 
to  another,  hundreds  of  miles  apart.  The  English  bird  is  longer 
lived  than  the  American.  The  average  duration  of  life  in  the 
former  is  said  to  be  seven  to  ten  years ;  in  the  latter,  three  to  five* 

CHANGE   OF   PLUMAGE. 

A  few  partridges,  owing  to  some  inexplicable  freak  of  nature, 
change  their  plumage  to  a  pure  or  mottled  white.  Many  of  such 
singular-looking  birds  have  been  shot  in  England.  Mr.  Daniel 
states  that  there  was  a  covey  of  seven  partridges  netted  at  South 


84  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

Cave,  four  of  which  were  of  a  most  beautiful  clear  white  color, 
three  were  pied,  and  that  they  were  preserved  alive  for  a  long  time 
as  great  curiosities.  We  have  heard  of  several  being  shot  in  the 
State  of  Delaware,  one  of  which  remarkable  birds  is  mounted  and 
in  the  possession  of  the  author.  It  is  not  purely  white,  but  pied, 
and  differs  in  no  other  respect  from  the  common  partridge.  There 
is  also  another  handsome  specimen  in  the  possession  of  David 
Gratz,  Esq.,  which  most  of  our  shooting  friends,  no  doubt,  have 
seen.  There  is  also  a  very  handsome  specimen  in  the  Academy 
of  Natural  Sciences. 

There  are  several  specimens  of  these  singular  birds  in  the 
English  Museum ;  and  Buffon  states  that  ten  or  twelve  partridges, 
entirely  white,  have  been  seen  at  once  among  others  of  the  usual 
plumage,  and  that  they  had  the  pupils  of  the  eyes  red,  as  common 
to  the  white  hare,  rat,  ferret,  &c. 

What  this  alteration  in  the  plumage  of  birds  is  to  be  attributed 
to  we  are  at  a  loss  to  discern,  as  it  has  occurred  in  climates  that 
could  not  be  suspected  of  exercising  any  influence  towards  this 
change.  Such  anomalies,  however,  are  not  so  very  rare  in  the 
feathered  race  as  we  should  at  first  be  led  to  suppose ;  for  it  is  no 
very  uncommon  circumstance  to  hear  of  crows,  as  well  as  black- 
birds, having  changed  their  lustrous  jetty  plumage  for  one  of 
snowy  white.  We  have  also  seen  a  white  snipe,  and  a  yellow  reed- 
bird,  both  of  which  will  be  spoken  of  under  their  proper  head. 

Since  the  publication  of  the  first  edition  of  our  book,  we  have 
received  at  the  hands  of  our  friend,  the  late  Mr.  H.  H.  Stockton, 
who,  by-the-by,  was  a  most  zealous  and  experienced  sportsman,  a 
remarkable,  and,  no  doubt,  perfectly  unique,  specimen  of  the  Ame- 
rican partridge.  The  plumage  of  this  rara  avis  in  terra  is  totally 
different  from  any  thing  that  we  have  yet  seen  or  heard  of.  Inde- 
pendent of  the  color  of  the  plumage,  the  bird  has  every  charac- 
teristic of  the  Perdix  Yirginianus,  and,  no  doubt,  is  a  veritable 
partridge,  without  any  admixture  of  foreign  blood,  as  some  of  our 
sporting  friends  would  have  us  infer.  If  this  bird  had  not  been 
shot  in  the  section  of  country  where  it  was,  and  in  company  with 


THE    PARTRIDGE. 


85 


Other  ordinary  partridges,  we  might,  perhaps,  very  naturally  have 
supposed  it  to  belong  to  another  variety;  but,  all  the  circum- 
stances taken  into  consideration,  we  must  regard  it  only  as  one  of 
those  lusts  naturce  that  we  occasionally  meet  with  in  every  branch 
of  animated  creation. 

In  the  specimen  before  us,  the  bill  is  black;  line  over  the  eye 
and  down  the  back  jet-black,  with  an  occasional  grayish-white 
spot;  whole  chin  ashy- white,  mottled  with  black,  extending  slightly 
over  the  throat,  which  is  jetty,  interspersed  with  a  few  reddish- 
brown  spots ;  upper  part  of  the  breast  exhibits  a  few  pure  white 
feathers;  the  lower  portion  dark-cinnamon  or  red-brown,  fringed 
with  black ;  sides  of  the  neck  reddish-brown ;  in  fact,  the  balance 
of  the  plumage,  save  the  admixture  of  black  and  cineritious  tints, 
may  be  set  down  as  reddish-brown,  or  rather  dark-cinnamon  color ; 
legs  of  same  hue ;  the  irides  hazel. 

This  very  peculiar  bird  was  killed  in  Pennsylvania,  a  short  dis- 
tance from  Philadelphia ;  and,  what  is  somewhat  remarkable,  there 
were  others  of  similar  plumage  in  the  covey  from  which  this  one 
was  secured.  We  went  in  quest  of  these  birds  with  Mr.  Stockton, 
on  a  subsequent  occasion,  but  were  unsuccessful  in  our  search.* 

THE   IMPORTANCE   OF   STUDYING   THE    NATURAL    HISTORY  OF   GAME- 
BIRDS. 

We  have  already  devoted  much  space — perhaps  too  much — to  the 
natural  history,  habits,  and  peculiarities  of  the  partridge,  but,  we 
trust,  not  without  benefit  to  our  readers,  as  no  one  can  expect  to 
become  an  accomplished  sportsman  without  studying  very  closely 
the  individual  characteristics  of  every  species  of  game  that  he  pur- 

*  This  remarkable  bird  is  perhaps  more  worthy  of  being  represented  perched 
upon  a  tree,  than  the  white  one  referred  to  by  an  English  author,  who  states  that 
one  of  this  character,  being  shot,  was  sent  to  a  Mr.  Pugh,  a  good  artist,  but  no 
sportsman,  who,  to  make  the  delineation,  as  he  thought,  the  more  effective,  first 
painted  a  large  oak,  and  then  very  artistically  placed  the  white  partridge  on  one 
of  the  branches.  When  told  that  these  birds  always  sat  on  the  ground,  he  naively 
replied,  "That  might  be;  but  it  looked  so  much  the  more  picturesque  to  have  a 
landscape  in  the  background  that  he  would  not  alter  it ;  for  an  extraordinary  bird 
ought  to  have  an  extraordinary  situation:  it  exalted  him  above  hxs  fellows.'' 


86  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

sues.  For  it  is  by  this  knowledge,  either  gained  through  great 
labor  in  the  field,  or  acquired  from  the  writings  and  associations 
of  those  who  have  devoted  the  leisure  of  years  to  this  healthful 
recreation,  that  one  shooter  is  seen  to  excel  another  in  the  style 
of  hunting  and  bagging  his  game. 

Many  individuals,  from  a  lack  of  personal  observation  on  their 
part  or  the  want  of  a  suitable  preceptor  to  instruct  them  in  the 
field,  will  continue  to  hunt  a  lifetime  in  an  awkward  or  hap-hazard 
way,  without  ever  bringing  into  requisition  any  of  those  many 
little  manoeuvres  and  field-stratagems  so  familiar  to  the  crafty  old 
sportsman,  and  which  he  oftentimes  selfishly  endeavors  to  conceal 
from  the  knowledge  of  the  rising  generation  of  shooters,  fearing 
lest  his  teaching  might  raise  up  around  him  too  many  youthful 
aspirants,  ever  ready  to  pluck  from  his  brow  the  hard-earned 
laurels  of  a  long  apprenticeship  to  the  tricks  of  the  field.  If  any 
of  our  readers,  however,  should  only  aspire  to  the  office  of  pot- 
hunter, we  would  advise  him  to  put  this  book  aside,  as  we  can 
assure  him  that  he  will  not  be  interested  in  many  of  its  details, 
except,  perhaps,  those  portions  of  it  devoted  to  the  trapping  and 
netting  of  game,  or  the  different  methods  to  be  pursued  by  the 
shooter  when  anxious,  from  some  particular  circumstance,  to  make 
a  large  count.  But,  even  then,  a  mind  such  as  this  selfish  cha- 
racter possesses  is  often  too  obtuse  to  understand  or  practise  the 
principles  laid  down  for  the  guidance  of  a  gentleman  sportsman. 

Of  all  the  disagreeable  characters  that  a  well-bred  sportsman  is 
likely  to  be  thrown  in  contact  with,  that  of  a  pot-hunter  is  the 
most  disgusting,  the  most  selfish,  the  most  unmanly,  the  most 
heartless ;  a  being  who  alone  can  pride  himself  in  a  ruthless  desire 
to  destroy,  and,  as  it  were,  to  lay  waste,  all  animated  nature,  by 
every  and  any  means  within  his  grasp,  without  regard  to  etiquette, 
humanity,  law,  or  even  the  common  decencies  of  life.  Such  are 
the  real  feelings  of  a  pot-hunter,  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word ; 
and  his  boasted  motto.  Fill  the  hag,  and  damn  the  means,  should 
be  chalked  upon  his  craven  back  in  well-defined  characters,  as  a 
warning  to  all  young  sportsmen  to  shun  his  company  and  detest 


THE    PARTRIDGE. 


87 


his  vices.  Perhaps  our  readers  may  think  we  have  portrayed  a 
being  so  base,  so  low,  as  seldom  or  never  to  be  met  with,  except 
among  those  mercenary  scamps  who  shoot  for  the  markets.  But 
rest  assured,  my  gentle  friends,  that  the  picture  is  not  overdrawn, 
for  there  are  dozens  of  just  such  fellows  in  every  shooting  commu- 
nity; and  perhaps  we  can  even  find  some  such  among  our  own 
sporting  acquaintances,  who  hesitate  at  nothing  to  fill  their  bags, 
in  season  or  out  of  season,  and,  in  reality,  practise  in  secret  the 
open  and  avowed  motto  of  the  professed  pot-hunter.  We  have 
met  with  such  characters,  and  doubt  not  but  our  sporting  friends 
have  done  the  same,  and  perhaps  been  alike  distressed  and  morti- 
fied at  their  behavior  in  the  field.  When  caught,  however,  with 
such  would-be  sportsmen,  we  have  but  one  course  to  pursue — re- 
sign the  field  for  the  day,  or  take  our  dogs  and  quietly  put  ofi"  in 
another  direction  to  pursue  our  sports  solitary  and  alone. 


FURTHER   HINTS. 

We  shall  now  enter  upon  some  particulars  more  familiar  to  the 
practical  sportsman,  and  in  which  he  will  take  especial  interest, 
and  no  doubt  feel  competent  to  compare  our  observations  with 
the  results  of  his  own  experience,  and  thus  be  able  to  judge  of  the 
truth  and  importance  of  our  information,  not  only  to  himself,  but 


88  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

to  the  young  tyro.  In  compiling  this  work,  it  is  our  earnest  de- 
sire to  bring  the  young  sportsman  forward  so  rapidly  in  all  that 
relates  to  the  crafts  of  the  field,  that,  with  a  little  industry  and 
ordinary  attention,  he  may,  in  the  second  season  of  his  debUt, 
possess  the  same  skill  in  hunting  and  bagging  game  as  it  would 
have  required  five  or  six  years  of  regular  apprenticeship  for  him 
to  arrive  at. 

As  before  stated,  partridges  are  formed  into  coveys,  and  are 
sufficiently  large  to  shoot,  in  the  month  of  October,  which  is  the 
time  appointed  by  legislative  enactments  for  the  killing  of  this 
game  in  several  of  the  States ;  New  Jersey,  however, — having  in 
view  the  preservation  of  the  second  brood,  we  suppose, — prolongs 
this  period  to  the  following  month.  But  few  partridges  are  taken 
at  this  early  season  in  traps,  owing  to  the  great  abundance  of 
grain,  seed,  and  insects  to  be  found  in  the  stubble-fields  and  clover- 
patches  ;  nevertheless,  incalculable  numbers  of  running  birds  now 
fall  victims  to  the  nets  set  by  farmer-boys  and  the  negroes  of  the 
adjoining  States.  A  gentleman  residing  on  the  Chesapeake  Bay, 
a  short  distance  from  Havre  de  Grace,  informed  us,  not  long  since, 
that  his  immediate  neighbor  caught  in  this  way,  during  one  season, 
on  his  own  estate,  no  less  than  nine  hundred  partridges,  which  he 
kept  in  coops,  and  gave  out  to  his  negroes  as  ordinary  food  during 
the  running  season,  besides  supplying  his  friends  in  the  city  with 
considerable  numbers.  This  account  may  seem  incredible  to  those 
not  familiar  with  the  fecundity  of  partridges,  and  still  less  ac- 
quainted with  the  immense  armies  of  these  birds  that  congregate 
together  during  their  migratory  trips,  and  the  regularity  and  perti- 
nacity with  which  they  pursue  their  course,  sometimes  passing 
through  the  heart  of  villages  that  obstruct  their  way.  The  estate 
upon  which  this  large  number  of  birds  were  captured  is  peculiarly 
well  situated  for  intercepting  the  progress  of  these  voyagers,  it  be- 
ing a  neck  of  low  land,  bounded  on  one  side  by  the  bay  and  on  the 
other  by  a  wide  stream  of  water,  thus  forming  a  kind  of  peninsula, 
encompassed  by  high  lands,  upon  which  the  birds  congregate  for 
the  purposes  of  incubation,  and  which  they  abandon  again  for  the 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  ^g 

river-courses  early  in  the  autumn.  We  do  not  doubt  that,  with 
properly-devised  instruments,  much  larger  numbers  might  have 
been  taken  during  the  same  season  at  this  spot,  as  the  birds  were 
very  abundant  indeed,  and  the  materials  used  in  their  capture  were 
of  the  simplest  and  roughest  character,  and  very  little  or  no  atten- 
tion given  to  their  skilful  adjustment  by  the  parties  setting  them. 
We  need  not,  however,  make  any  further  comments  as  to  the  pro- 
bability of  this  number  being  captured  in  one  season,  when  it  is 
well  known  that  the  quails  of  the  Old  World  (not  more  prolific 
than  the  American  partridge)  assemble  in  such  innumerable  bodies, 
at  the  same  period  of  emigration,  that  one  hundred  thousand  have 
been  taken  in  one  day,  within  the  space  of  four  or  five  miles,  along 
the  western  coast  of  the  kingdom  of  Naples.  About  the  time  of 
their  first  appearance  at  Alexandria,  after  crossing  the  Mediterra- 
nean, such  multitudes  are  exposed  for  sale  in  the  markets  that 
three  or  four  may  be  bought  for  a  medina, — a  piece  of  money  less 
than  two  cents  in  value.  Whether  there  be  such  numbers  of  quails 
in  these  parts  at  present  we  are  not  able  to  say ;  but  a  few  years 
back  such  was  the  case;  and  a  writer  informs  us, — "That  so  com- 
pletely surfeited  with  this  game  have  the  crews  of  merchant-vessels 
become,  that  they  were  forced,  in  some  instances,  to  prefer  com- 
plaints against  their  captains,  at  the  consul's  office,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  obtaining  other  kinds  of  food;  or,  in  other  words,  for  a 
return  to  their  salt  junk  and  bean-soup."* 

The  nets  commonly  used  by  our  country-people  are  very  simple 
in  their  construction,  often  nothing  more  than  an  old  fish-net 
rudely  fixed  up  for  the  purpose  and  set  about  in  diff"erent  parts 
of  the  plantation  where  the  birds  are  most  apt  to  pass ;  sometimes 
a  trail  of  grain  leading  to  it  conducts  the  unsuspecting  birds  into 
captivity  before  they  are   aware  of  their  proximity  to  danger. 


*  Since  writing  the  above,  we  find,  in  the  ^^  Spirit  of  the  Times,"  a  letter  from  a 
correspondent  in  Iowa  Territory,  stating  that  he  netted,  in  one  season,  ten  thou- 
sand partridges,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Burlington,  a  town  of  that  country,  the 
truth  of  which  we  do  not  for  a  moment  doubt,  for  it  only  confirms  the  reports  that 
we  have  before  heard  of  the  immense  numbers  of  these  birds  in  those  localities. 


90  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

Nooses  of  horsehair  are  also  attached  to  twigs  of  low  bushes  or 
frames  set  up  for  the  purpose,  across  the  path  most  likely  to  be 
traversed  by  these  armies ;  and  considerable  numbers  are  taken  in 
this  way. 

Great  numbers  of  partridges,  as  well  as  pheasants, — more  pro- 
perly speaking,  ruffed  grouse, — are  taken,  by  the  aid  of  horsehair 
nooses,  in  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania,  more  particularly  in  the 
district  of  country  adjoining  our  city;  and  it  is  no  unusual  cir- 
cumstance for  sportsmen  to  come  across  long  cords  of  several  feet 
in  length,  stretched  from  stake  to  stake,  on  the  borders  of  some 
favorite  feeding-ground,  hung  with  five,  ten,  fifteen,  or  twenty  hair 
nooses,  and  even  many  more,  with  corn,  wheat,  or  other  grain, 
strewn  about  for  the  purpose  of  luring  the  poor  victims  into  these 
deceptive  and  fatal  snares.  The  birds  are  most  usually  caught 
around  the  neck,  and  thus  strangled  to  death;  but  not  unfre- 
quently  by  the  wing,  and  sometimes  leg.  Our  dogs  have  often 
come  to  a  stand  upon  the  poor  victims  thus  entrapped,  and  we 
never  scruple  to  help  ourselves  to  the  spoils  on  such  occasions. 

As  the  winter  progresses  and  food  becomes  scarce,  the  common 
figure-of-4  trap,  constructed  of  laths,  corn-stalks,  or  other  suitable 
material,  comes  into  requisition  by  every  idle  farm-hand  and  lazy 
negro  boy,  and  thus  again  large  numbers  of  these  birds  are  merci- 
lessly destroyed.  It  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  take  covey  after 
covey,  in  these  rude  traps,  during  severe  weather,  without  allowing 
one  single  member  of  the  family  to  escape ;  as  these  birds,  more 
than  any  others,  are  disposed  to  run  in  clutches,  and  are  seen  con- 
stantly crossing  and  recrossing  each  other  when  feeding,  and  when 
alarmed  instinctively  cluster  together  and  follow  blindly  their 
leader,  no  matter  what  course  he  adopts.  As  we  cannot  approve 
of  this  wholesale  slaughter  of  game,  any  more  than  we  can  justify 
the  robbing  of  their  nests  for  the  purpose  of  eating  the  eggs,  as 
is  pursued  to  a  considerable  extent  by  the  negroes  in  the  slave- 
holding  States,  and  often  with  the  full  connivance  of  their  masters, 
we  will  not  dwell  longer  upon  the  subject,  or  be  more  particular  in 
describing  the  method  of  making  or  setting  these  traps,  which 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  92 

already,  unfortunately,  is  familiar  to  every  one  residing  in  the 
country.  We  sincerely  trust  that  every  one  perusing  these  pages 
will  discountenance,  as  far  as  lies  in  his  power,  the  cruel  practice 
of  eating  the  eggs  of  the  partridge,  and  prevent  the  negroes  or 
others  about  his  farm  from  desecrating  the  nests  of  these  interest- 
ing birds. 

This  season  of  1855  and  1856  has  been  particularly  destructive 
to  the  feathered  race,  in  consequence  of  the  long-protracted  and 
intensely  cold  weather  which  has  so  generally  prevailed  throughout 
our  broad  expanse  of  country.  This  severe  spell,  coupled  with  the 
deep,  hard  snow  which  has  thrown  its  chilling  mantle  over  so  wide 
an  extent  of  land,  penetrating  even  far  into  the  regions  of  the 
sunny  South,  has  driven  all  descriptions  of  game  to  great  ex- 
tremities in  search  of  food. 

The  havoc  and  slaughter,  not  only  by  the  mercenary  and  cruel, 
but  by  the  thoughtless  and  improvident,  have,  consequently,  been 
very  great,  both  of  birds  and  animals.  Thousands  of  buffaloes, 
deer,  and  hares,  hundreds  of  wolves,  panthers,  and  bears,  as  well 
as  myriads  of  partridges  and  hecatombs  of  grouse,  have  been  slain 
and  trapped.  The  markets  of  all  our  principal  cities  have  been 
most  bountifully  supplied  with  every  description  of  game — in  fact, 
filled  to  repletion  with  partridges  and  grouse ;  not,  however,  as 
many  suppose,  with  birds  alone  coming  from  the  far,  far  West,  but 
by  incredible  numbers  of  half-starved  victims  snared  in  our  own 
and  the  neighboring  States,  or  mercilessly  shot  down,  whole  coveys 
at  a  "blow,"  as  they  sit  huddled  together  on  the  treacherous  snow, 
stupefied  and  benumbed  with  the  chilling  blasts  of  the  North. 

At  such  times,  when  every  vestige  of  herbage  is  entirely  hidden 
from  view,  and  the  scanty  underbrush  of  the  thickets  afford  but 
little  secrecy  or  protection  to  game  of  any  kind,  every  thoughtless 
and  mercenary  lounger  in  the  country  shoulders  his  rusty  weapon 
and  wanders  lazily  forth  to  kill  and  destroy  whatever  of  animated 
nature  may  lucklessly  cross  his  path. 

What  a  shame !  what  a  pity  that  we  have  no  laws  rigidly  en- 
forced to  protect  from  such  foul  play  not  only  the  game-birds  at 


92  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

this  inclement  season,  but  the  whole  race  of  insectivorous  birds  and 
feathered  songsters  which  enliven  our  brakes  and  forests  with  their 
melodious  strains  during  the  spring  and  autumnal  months ! 

If  the  snow  which  has  now  shrouded  the  country  for  several 
weeks  should  continue  much  longer,  we  fear  that  the  partridges 
will  be  almost  exterminated  throughout  the  Northern  and  Eastern 
States;  as  they  are  not  only  being  trapped  and  shot  down  by 
thousands,  as  above  stated,  but  immense  numbers  are  absolutely 
stiffening  and  dying  in  consequence  of  the  excessive  cold  and  hun- 
ger, even  in  districts  as  far  south  as  the  central  portion  of  Vir- 
ginia. But,  what  is  eveji  more  shameful  than  the  wholesale 
destruction  of  game  by  mercenary  individuals,  and  most  repre- 
hensible on  the  part  of  the  city  authorities,  now,  on  the  sixth  day 
of  February,  1856,  we,  as  well  as  scores  of  others,  are  cognizant 
of  partridges  and  grouse  being  publicly  hawked  about  the  streets 
of  Philadelphia,  as  well  as  clandestinely  exposed  for  sale  in  the 
cellars  and  at  the  stalls  of  game-hucksters,  in  direct  violation  of 
both  the  municipal  and  State  ordinances.  All  this  illegal  traffic 
appears  to  be  carried  on  without  any  special  interference  on  the 
part  of  the  officers  or  clerks  of  the  market;  who,  one  and  all, 
strange  to  say,  seem  possessed  of  lynx-eyes  in  ferreting  out  a 
pound  of  rancid  butter  which  should  perchance  be  under  weight, 
but  are  as  blind  as  bats  in  full  noonday  on  the  subject  of  the 
game-ordinances. 

This  illicit  traffic  we  have  noticed  for  several  years  past ;  but 
this  season,  in  particular,  our  attention  has  been  called  to  it,  from 
the  circumstance  of  those  engaged  in  it  having  apparently  thrown 
off  all  efforts  at  concealment,  and  exposing  their  unlawful  wares 
with  the  most  brazen  effrontery,  without  let  or  hinderance.  The 
numerous  eating-saloons  and  club-houses,  also,  of  this  vast  city, 
openly,  without  a  shadow  of  disguise,  serve  up  all  kinds  of  game, 
in  season  or  out  of  season,  just  as  it  suits  their  purpose  or  pleasure, 
without  the  slightest  interference  on  the  part  of  the  constituted 
authorities.  But,  what  is  still  more  to  be  reprobated,  and  what  we 
consider  more  scandalous  than  all  these  open  infringements  of  the 


» 


I 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  93 

laws  by  those  who  are  tempted  from  mercenary  considerations,  we 
have  seen  the  tables  of  many  of  our  most  worthy — ^but,  at  the  same 
time,  most  thoughtless,  on  this  point  at  least — citizens  fairly 
groaning  under  the  weight  of  partridges,  as  well  as  ruffed  and 
pinnated  grouse,  during  the  month  of  February, — a  portion  of  the 
interdicted  period  for  the  sale  of  all  these  descriptions  of  game.* 

As  long,  then,  as  such  open  transgressions  of  the  law  are  per- 
mitted by  the  authorities  and  such  glaring  derelictions  of  duty  in- 
dulged in  by  our  otherwise  best  citizens,  it  were  useless  for  us  to 
hope  any  thing  on  the  score  of  humanity  towards  the  preservation 
of  game  by  our  thrifty  farmers.  For  they,  unfortunately,  with 
the  rest  of  mankind,  are  deeply  inoculated  with  the  "auri  sacra 
fames"  of  the  present  day,  and  cannot  withstand  the  temptation 
of  gain  when  so  alluringly  held  out  to  them. 

That  section  of  the  city  ordinance  to  which  we  refer  is  as 
follows : — 

"  That  no  person  shall  sell  or  expose  to  sale,  within  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,  any  grouse,  partridge,  or  pheasant,  between  the  1st 
of  February  and  the  1st  of  October,  nor  any  woodcock  between 
the  1st  of  February  and  the  1st  of  July,  under  penalty  of  five 
dollars  and  of  forfeiting  the  articles  so  sold  or  exposed  for  sale." 

The  act  of  Assembly  is  of  similar  import,  and  prohibits  the  kill- 
ing of  these  birds  within  the  prescribed  periods,  under  a  penalty 
of  ten  dollars  for  each  infringement  of  the  law. 

Analogous  legislative  enactments  are  in  existence  in  the  adjoin- 
ing States  of  Delaware,  New  Jersey,  and  Maryland,  but,  we  fear, 
are  quite  as  nugatory  in  their  action  as  those  of  Pennsylvania. 
Now,  in  conclusion  of  this  subject,  we  sincerely  trust  that  all 
sportsmen  and  others  interested  in  the  preservation  of  this  charm- 
ing bird,  which  enlivens  the   spring  and  summer   months  by  his 

*  By  the  game-laws  of  Illinois  and  others  of  the  Western  States,  every  person  is 
liable  to  a  fine  of  fifteen  dollars  who  shall  kill,  ensnare,  or  trap  any  deer,  fawn, 
wild  turkey,  grouse,  prairie-chickens,  or  partridges,  between  the  15th  of  January 
and  the  1st  of  August.  How  then  can  the  authorities  in  Philadelphia  permit,  or 
our  citizens  countenance,  the  sale  of  such  game,  coming,  as  it  does,  from  these 
States  during  this  period  of  prohibition  ? 


94  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPOBTSMAN 

plaintive  but  most  musical  whistle,  will  discourage,  as  far  as  is  in  his 
power,  the  shooting  or  trapping  of  them  during  the  next  season 
at  least, — we  mean  the  season  of  1856  and  1857.  Not  a  bird 
should  be  killed,  under  any  pretext,  in  our  own  or  the  neighboring 
States,  during  the  next  twelve  months,  as  their  numbers  have  been 
so  thinned  the  past  winter  that  it  will  require  one  or  two  seasons 
of  undisturbed  quiet,  coupled  with  their  prolific  powers  of  procrea- 
tion, to  replenish  their  now  almost  exterminated  ranks. 


DRIVING  PARTRIDGES. 

Another  mode  of  catching  partridges,  not  less  fatal  to  their  pro- 
pagation, if  pursued  by  thoughtless  individuals,  is  much  practised 
by  the  residents  of  Virginia,  North  Carolina,  and  other  Southern 
and  Western  States,  where  these  birds  are  very  abundant.  It  is 
called  driving^  or  netting.  This  method  is  so  minutely  and  cor- 
rectly described  by  Audubon,  in  his  valuable  work  on  Ornithology, 
that  we  will  quote  his  own  words  on  the  subject : — 

"A  number  of  persons  on  horseback,  provided  with  a  net,  set 
out  in  search  of  partridges,  riding  along  the  fences  or  thickets 
which  the  birds  are  known  to  frequent.  One  or  two  of  the  party 
whistle  in  imitation  of  the  call-note,  and,  as  partridges  are  plentiful, 
the  call  is  soon  answered  by  a  covey,  when  the  sportsmen  imme- 
diately proceed  to  ascertain  their  position  and  number,  seldom  con- 
sidering it  worth  while  to  set  the  net  where  there  are  only  a  few 
birds.  They  approach  in  a  careless  manner,  talking  and  laughing, 
as  if  merely  passing  by.  When  the  birds  are  discovered,  one  of 
the  party  gallops  in  a  circuitous  manner,  gets  in  advance  of  the 
rest  by  a  hundred  yards  or  more,  according  to  the  situation  of  the 
birds  and  their  disposition  to  run,  while  the  rest  of  the  sportsmen 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  95 

move  about  on  their  horses,  talking  to  each  other,  but  at  the  same 
time  watching  every  motion  of  the  covey.  The  person  in  advance, 
being  provided  with  the  net,  dismounts,  and  at  once  falls  to 
placing  it  so  that  his  companions  can  easily  drive  the  partridges  into 
it.  No  sooner  is  the  machine  ready  than  the  net-bearer  remounts 
and  rejoins  the  party.  The  sportsmen  now  separate  to  a  short 
distance,  and  follow  the  partridges,  talking  and  whistling,  clapping 
the  hands,  or  knocking  the  fence-rails.  The  birds  move  with  great 
gentleness,  following  each  other,  and  are  kept  in  the  right  direc- 
tion by  the  sportsmen.  The  leading  bird  approaches  and  enters 
the  mouth  of  the  net;  the  others  follow  in  succession,  when  the 
net-bearer  leaps  from  his  horse,  runs  up  and  secures  the  entrance, 
and  soon  despatches  the  birds.  In  this  manner  fifteen  or  twenty 
partridges  are  caught  at  one  driving,  and  sometimes  many  hun- 
dreds in  the  course  of  a  day.  Most  netters  give  liberty  to  one 
pair  out  of  each  covey,  that  the  breed  may  be  continued.  The 
success  of  driving  depends  much  on  the  state  of  the  weather. 
Drizzling  rain  or  melting  snow  is  the  best;  for  in  such  weather 
partridges,  and  gallinaceous  birds  in  general,  run  to  a  great  dis- 
tance rather  than  fly ;  whereas,  if  the  weather  be  dry  and  clear, 
they  generally  take  to  the  wing  the  moment  they  discover  an  in- 
truder, or  squat  so  that  they  cannot  be  driven  without  very  par- 
ticular care.  Again,  when  the  coveys  are  found  in  the  woods, 
they  run  off  so  briskly  and  so  far  that  it  is  difficult  for  the  net- 
bearer  to  place  his  machine  in  time. 

"  The  net  is  cylindrical,  thirty  or  forty  feet  in  length  by  about 
two  in  diameter,  excepting  at  the  mouth  or  entrance,  where  it  is 
rather  larger,  and  at  the  extremity,  where  it  assumes  the  form  of 
a  bag.  It  is  kept  open  by  means  of  small  wooden  hoops,  at  a 
distance  of  two  or  three  feet  from  each  other.  The  mouth  is 
furnished  with  a  semicircular  hoop  sharpened  at  both  ends,  which 
are  driven  into  the  ground,  thus  affording  an  easy  entrance  to  the 
birds.  Two  pieces  of  netting,  called  wings,  of  the  same  length  as 
the  cylindrical  one,  are  placed  one  on  each  side  of  the  mouth,  so 
as  to  form  an  obtuse  angle  with  each  other,  and  are  supported  by 


h 


96  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

sticks  thrust  into  the  ground,  the  wings  having  the  appearance  of 
two  low  fences  leading  to  a  gate.  The  whole  is  made  of  light  and 
strong  materials." 

This  account  coincides  exactly  with  the  description  given  us  of 
this  sport  by  several  gentlemen  residing  in  the  South.  Care  should 
be  taken,  however,  to  liberate  a  pair  or  so  of  birds  from  each 
covey,  so  as  to  insure  a  continuation  of  that  abundance  which 
furnishes  such  a  profuse  and  epicurean  delicacy  for  the  table. 


INTRODUCTION   INTO   ENGLAND. 

Frequent  attempts  have  been  made  to  introduce  the  American 
partridge  into  England ;  but  these  efforts  have,  we  believe,  gene 
rally  proved  abortive,  from  the  circumstance  of  our  birds  being  so 
very  pugnacious  that  they  destroyed  or  drove  off  the  English 
variety,  which  is  a  much  larger  bird,  and  considered  finer  eating 
in  that  country ; — chacun  a  son  goilt, 

ACTIONS   OF   OLD   AND   YOUNG  BIRDS. 

There  is  a  great  difference  between  the  actions  of  old  birds  ana 
a  covey  of  young  ones.  The  former  are  up  to  all  kinds  of  tricks, 
while  the  latter  soon  become  confused  and  unable  to  avail  them- 
selves of  any  manoeuvring  whatever  to  save  themselves  from  the 
persecutions  of  the  dog  and  sportsman.     The  young  birds,  if  not 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  97 

made  wild  by  previous  hunting,  lie  well  to  the  dogs  and  make  but 
short  flights,  and  are  consequently  soon  come  up  with  again,  and, 
being  scattered  about  in  close  proximity,  can  be  picked  off  one  by 
one,  without  much  trouble  to  the  shooter.  The  old  birds,  on  the 
other  hand,  when  hunted,  often  lie  badly,  are  extremely  cautious, 
and  run  away  from  before  the  dog  as  soon  as  they  observe  his 
approach;  and  when  they  spring  they  take  immediately  to  the 
thick  cripples  or  disappear  over  the  tops  of  the  highest  woods. 
An  old  bird,  when  shot,  will  often  carry  off  several  pellets  of  lead 
with  him,  if  not  struck  in  some  vital  part,  and  even  with  a  broken 
wing  will  frequently  escape  the  pursuit  of  both  huntsman  and  dog. 

BEST  TO   BREAK  DOGS  ON. 

The  partridge,  most  unquestionably,  is  the  finest  bird  we  have 
to  break  our  dogs  on ;  and,  being  once  broken  to  this  kind  of  shoot- 
ing, they  can  soon  be  taught  to  seek  for  any  other  kind  of  game, 
such  as  woodcocks,  snipes,  or  grouse.  In  hunting  these  birds,  the 
dog  learns  a  degree  of  boldness  as  well  as  care  that  cannot  be 
acquired  on  any  other  kind  of  game,  as  none  feed  so  widely,  or 
leave  so  long  a  trail  of  scent  behind  them,  which  the  dog  winds  a 
considerable  distance  off,  and  thus  learns  caution,  ease,  and  deli- 
cacy in  approaching  his  victims,  knowing  full  well,  from  sad  ex- 
perience, the  chastisement  that  would  follow  any  heedlessness  or 
undue  precipitation  on  his  part ;  but  rather 

"Against  the  wind  he  takes  his  prudent  way, 
While  the  strong  gale  directs  him  to  the  prey ; 
Now  the  warm  scent  assures  the  covey  near : 
He  treads  with  caution,  and  he  points  with  fear." 

Gay  :  Rural  Sports. 

COVEYS   THAT  WILL  NOT  LIB. 

It  is  seldom  attended  with  much  success  to  follow  after  coveys 
that  will  not  lie  close,  but  are  continually  rising  and  flying  straight 
away  at  the  least  alarm.  Such  birds  are  sure  to  be  either  a  travel- 
ling party,  or  they  have  already  been  shot  at  a  great  deal  too  much 
to  afford  any  sport.     The  only  likely  way  of  getting  a  shot  at 


98  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

them  would  be  to  circle  entirely  around  them,  and  then  the  chances 
are  much  against  your  being  able  to  close  on  them  before  they 
again  take  wing. 

RETAINING   SCENT. 

It  has  frequently  been  observed  by  every  sportsman  that  the 
very  best  of  dogs,  at  times,  cannot  find  partridges,  even  when 
marked  down  in  the  most  open  ground  and  are  known  to  be 
secreted  immediately  around  the  spot  where  the  dogs  are  put  to 
hunt.  This  fact  has  been  a  mystery  for  years  to  some  sportsmen, 
and  many  a  valuable  dog  has  been  grossly  and  unjustly  censured 
for  his  want  of  nose  in  not  finding  the  birds  under  these  circum- 
stances. This  seeming  deficiency,  however,  in  the  olfactory 
organs  of  our  canine  favorite,  is  now  easily  accounted  for  by  the 
presumed  existence  of  a  singular  provision  of  nature,  which  en- 
dows the  American  partridge  with  the  extraordinary  faculty  of 
withholding,  for  a  time,  the  emanation  from  its  body  of  that  pecu- 
liarly strong  odor  that  betrays  its  proximity  to  the  dog.  This 
phenomenon  was  very  particularly  inquired  into,  some  years  since, 
by  Dr.  Smith,  of  Baltimore ;  and  the  results  of  his  inquiries  were 
published,  at  that  time,  in  the  form  of  a  letter  to  Mr.  Skinner, 
which  interesting  communication  we  take  pleasure  in  bringing 
again  to  the  notice  of  sportsmen  by  its  insertion  in  these  pages. 
We  are  constrained  to  do  this  from  the  conviction  that  nothing  has 
been  written,  since  its  publication,  that  further  elucidates  this 
subject;  and,  if  we  were  to  attempt  to  give  our  own  views  and 
observations  upon  the  phenomenon,  it  could  not  be  done  in  a  more 
practical  and  satisfactory  manner  than  Dr.  Smith  has  accomplished 
it ;  and  we  therefore  give  place  to  its  insertion  with  all  pleasure : — 

Mr.  Editor  : — A  close  scrutiny  of  every  subject  in  natural  his- 
tory discloses  some  marvellous  power  given  to  inferior  creatures 
for  their  preservation  from  the  hostility  of  man  and  his  various 
and  numerous  agents.  It  is  surprising,  how  many  striking  facts 
are   forced   upon   us   for   contemplation   before   any   doctrine   is 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  99 

thoroughly  admitted  as  truth.  How  long,  for  instance,  has  it  been 
observed,  and  with  regret,  by  sportsmen,  that  the  best  dogs  could 
not  discover  certain  birds  of  value,  such  as  partridges,  in  places 
where  they  were  seen  to  settle  themselves !  and  yet  years  have 
rolled  away  without  a  single  individual  advancing  the  only  rational 
idea  of  the  proper  cause.  The  truth  never  reached  them  that 
these  persecuted  little  creatures  had  been  granted  the  power  of 
withholding  odor,  to  preserve  them  from  their  ruthless  destroyers. 
Noble  dogs  have  been  censured  as  wanting  or  careless,  when  the 
often-repeated  fact,  in  almost  every  day's  hunt,  made  it  manifest 
that  the  fault  did  not  lie  with  them.  Many  years  ago  I  noticed 
this  fact,  and  after  frequent  and  earnest  observation  I  adopted 
the  conclusion  already  given. 

I  will  state  some  of  my  observations  and  experiments.  Precise 
dates  are  of  no  consequence,  as  the  facts  are  general,  and  open  to 
the  study  of  all  who  are  interested.  It  is  now  twenty  years 
since  I  was  one  day  in  company  with  my  friend  and  companion, 
the  late  learned  ornithologist,  Alexander  Wilson,  assisting  him  in 
his  endeavors  after  the  birds  of  this  country.  We  encountered  a 
well-appointed  party  of  gentlemen,  who  were  shooting  partridges. 
They  had  seven  dogs,  apparently  of  the  best  quality.  They  were 
in  a  large  stubble-field,  having  small  patches  of  low  bushes  and 
briers  in  several  places.  From  one  of  these  was  flushed  a  very 
large  covey  of  partridges,  which,  after  having  been  rigorously  fired 
upon,  settled  nearly  in  the  centre  of  the  field,  in  a  place  slightly 
depressed,  where  the  stubble  was  unusually  high,  with  rank  clover 
underneath.  The  sportsmen  pursued  with  due  caution,  giving  the 
proper  instructions  and  ample  time  to  the  dogs.  Some  of  the 
birds  were  put  up  and  killed,  but  not  near  as  many  as  had  taken 
refuge  there.  After  considerable  search,  the  party  left  the  ground. 
Why  so  few  of  the  birds  were  roused  puzzled  me  exceedingly,  and 
I,  in  common  with  every  one,  censured  the  dogs.  Immediately 
adjacent  to  the  stubble  was  a  body  of  open  woodland,  in  which 
Mr.  Wilson  was  several  hours  engaged  in  his  usual  ardent  study 
into  the  habits  and  manners  of  a  number  of  small  birds  sporting 


100  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

in  it.  On  our  return  home,  we  crossed  the  stubble  directly  past 
the  spot  where  the  partridges  had  been  hunted  by  the  sportsmen. 
As  we  approached  it,  a  bird  flew  up,  and  soon  after  another,  and 
another,  until  five  went  off.  I  expressed  my  surprise  to  Mr.  Wilson, 
who  dismissed  the  matter  by  supposing  that  the  stronger  scent 
from  the  feet  of  so  many  men  had  transcended  that  of  the  birds 
and  bewildered  the  dogs.  Having  been  an  anxious  witness  to  the 
whole  scene,  I  was  not  satisfied  with  this  explanation,  but  believed 
the  dogs  to  have  been  in  fault.  After  the  lapse  of  a  few  years,  I 
became  exceedingly  given  to  field  sports,  and  was  in  possession  of 
several  fine  dogs.  It  often  happened  that  many  dogs  could  not 
find  partridges,  even  when  I  had  marked  them  settle  and  conducted 
them  to  it,  especially  when  the  cover  was  of  thick  and  matted 
grass.  In  1821,  I  obtained  a  pup  of  high  pedigree,  and  took  the 
charge  of  his  education  upon  myself.  No  animal  of  his  kind  ever 
surpassed  him,  but  even  with  him  I  was  often  unable  to  flush  a 
scared  partridge.  I  now  first  admitted  the  idea  that  these  birds 
were  endued  with  the  occasional  power  of  holding  that  effluvium 
which  exposed  them  to  their  direst  enemy.  My  remarks  were 
general,  but  tended  to  strengthen  the  opinion  I  had  adopted. 
For  instance,  I  excursed  very  many  times  with  large  parties, 
where  they  might  be  said  to  be  a  pack  of  dogs  from  their  numbers, 
and  most  of  them  approved  hunters.  Often  have  I  seen,  in  large 
clearings,  five  or  six  coveys  of  partridges  flushed,  amounting  pro- 
bably to  a  hundred  birds,  and,  although  scarcely  a  brace  of  them 
would  leave  the  open  grounds,  not  more  than  a  fifth  part  of  them 
could  be  recovered.  The  sportsmen  did  not  seem  to  think  of  their 
failure,  and  no  one  would  disparage  the  truth  of  the  charming 
Yenuses,  Junos,  Dianas,  and  Coras,  so  sedulously  engaged  for  his 
amusement.  After  such  a  field,  I  have  made  it  a  practice  to 
return  alone  to  it  after  the  lapse  of  sufficient  time,  and  I  always 
found  that  the  birds  had  not  left  it,  but  that,  having  resumed 
their  natural  or  usual  habits,  were  easily  flushed.  In  October, 
1824,  I  became  assured  of  the  truth  of  my  doctrine.  I  was  then, 
in  company  with  five  gentlemen,  in  a  fine  partridge  country.     We 


THE    PARTKIDGE.  101 

had  eleven  dogs  (setters  and  pointers)  of  approved  value.  The 
party  concluded  to  range  a  field  or  two  before  breakfast;  but  I 
did  not  go  out  with  them.  I  soon  heard  rapid  firing  in  a  new 
cleared  ground  in  sight  of  the  tavern-house.  I  hurried  to  join 
them.  There  was  a  small  meadow-land  and  a  little  brook  inter- 
vening between  us.  On  the  margin  of  this  meadow  stood  a  large 
pine  stump,  covered  with  running-dewberry  vines,  and  surrounded 
by  small  oak-shrubs.  I  was  within  sixty  yards  of  it,  and  parallel 
to  it,  when  two  partridges  came  directly  towards  me,  across  the 
meadow.  Having  but  one  barrel  charged,  I  fired  upon  the  nearest 
bird,  and  killed  it.  The  other  made  a  sudden  dart  from  its  line, 
and  took  refuge  among  the  shrubs  and  briers  about  the  stump.  I 
had  my  favorite  dog  and  a  very  valuable  pointer-bitch  with  me. 
Having  recharged,  I  approached  in  guard  upon  the  marked  bird; 
but  the  dogs  gave  no  point.  This  was  the  proper  time  to  test  my 
belief;  I  therefore  called  oiF  the  dogs,  and  waited  till  I  could  have 
every  one  on  the  ground  brought  to  the  spot.  This  was  done ;  but 
there  was  no  intimation  given  that  there  was  a  bird  near  us.  We 
left  the  ground  without  remark  or  explanation,  and  retired  to 
breakfast.  In  an  hour  we  took  the  field  for  the  day.  I  requested 
the  gentlemen  to  indulge  me  again  by  an  advance  upon  the  stump, 
leading  the  van  myself  with  the  pointer-bitch.  She  instantly 
pointed,  and  the  other  dogs  backed  her.  The  bird  was  flushed  and 
shot.  I  now  explained  myself  fully,  and  Mr.  Edward  Tilghman, 
well  known  to  most  American  sportsmen,  was  greatly  struck  with 
it.  He  expressed  great  pleasure  too  at  it,  as  he  said  it  would  save 
many  valuable  animals  from  unmerited  censure.  He  told  me, 
moreover,  that  he  had  more  than  once  noticed  the  same  fact  with 
pheasants  and  grouse.  I  think  it  highly  probable  that  these  birds 
are  endowed  with  the  same  power;  but  I  have  not  had  sufiicient 
experience  to  speak  of  them  with  any  certainty.  Last  week,  on 
one  of  our  steamboats.  Colonel  S.  B.  Davis,  formerly  of  the  United 
States  army,  a  great  sportsman  in  his  day,  asked  me,  without  any 
previous  conversation  on  the  subject,  why  the  best  dogs  could  not 
sometimes  find  a  single  partridge  in  open  ground.      The  fact  was 


102 


LEWISS    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


forced  upon  him,  but  lie  had  no  thought  of  the  solution  here 
advanced.  Yours,  respectfully, 


Samuel  B.  Smith,  M.D. 


Although  this  communication  occupies  some  space  in  our  work, 
vre  are  satisfied  that  every  one  will  feel  pleased  with  its  perusal,  as 
it  presents  a  plain  unvarnished  relation  of  facts  that  admit  of  no 
doubting  or  misunderstanding.  So  far  as  our  experience  has 
enabled  us  to  judge  of  this  matter,  we  are  inclined  to  coincide  with 
Doctor  Smith  in  his  original  notions  on  the  subject;  and  we  also 
might  enumerate  many  instances  of  like  nature  with  those  ad- 
vanced by  him,  and  as  fully  corroborative  of  what  he  wishes  to 
establish.  But,  having  already  devoted  much  space  to  the  subject, 
we  must  pass  on  to  other  less  obscure  points  in  the  habits  of  this 
bird. 


ENEMIES   OF   THE   PARTRIDGE. 

Man  is  not  the  only  enemy  that  partridges  have  to  fear,  as  there 
are  several  animals — such  as  the  fox,  raccoon,  weasel,  polecat,  ser- 
pent, hawk,  crow,  &c. —  that  not  only,  when  pressed  for  food  in 
the  winter  season,  destroy  the  old  birds,  but  also  devour  great 
quantities  of  the  young,  and  consume  numberless  eggs  during  the 
period  of  incubation. 

Among   the   foes  of  their   own   species   there  are  none  more 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  103 

destructive  than  the  sparrowhawk,  pigeonhawk,  and  goshawk,  who 
follow  after  and  destroy  great  numbers  of  them  early  in  the  autumn, 
when  they  are  comparatively  weak  and  unwary  and  not  sufficiently 
alert  to  elude  their  grasp  by  rapid  flight  to  the  thick  coverts.  The 
pigeon-hawk,  being  much  larger  and  stronger  than  the  former, 
does  not  hesitate,  on  a  favorable  occasion,  to  dart  down  and 
carry  off  the  oldest  and  strongest  birds.  Nothing  terrifies  a  covey 
so  much,  when  feeding  in  the  open  country,  as  the  appearance  of 
this  formidable  marauder.  Skimming  along  the  tops  of  the  stubble- 
fields,  so  near  to  the  ground  as  scarcely  to  be  discovered,  he  comes 
stealthily  upon  his  unconscious  victims,  and  fastens  his  deadly 
talons  in  their  very  vitals,  bearing  them  off  screaming  to  the 
nearest  tree,  to  satisfy  his  cruel  appetite.  The  covey,  startled  at 
his  approach,  fly  in  every  direction,  secreting  themselves  in  the 
thickets  of  brushwood,  deep  grass,  and  almost  impenetrable  cripples. 
When  partridges  have  been  frightened  in  this  way,  they  take  a 
long  time  to  collect  together  again,  as  they  dare  not  give  utter- 
ance to  a  single  note-call,  while  dreading  the  presence  of  their 
relentless  foe. 

We  have  often  come  across  birds  disturbed  by  this  fearless  free- 
booter, and  found  them  extremely  wild  and  shy,  not  permitting  a 
dog  to  come  within  a  hundred  yards  of  them.  When  the  winter  is 
severe  in  the  middle  and  northern  latitudes,  these  hawks,  more 
particularly  the  goshawks,  a  larger  species,  are  driven  to  great 
extremities  for  food,  as  most  of  the  small  birds,  their  usual  prey, 
have  left  for  more  congenial  climes;  and  then  it  is  that  the 
formidable  goshawk  visits  the  barnyards  in  search  of  plunder,  and 
does  not  hesitate  to  carry  off  the  largest  chickens.  It  is  no  un- 
common thing  for  shooters  to  see  this  daring  depredator  dip  down 
into  a  covey  when  within  a  few  yards  of  his  own  person ;  and  a  gen- 
tleman informs  me  that  he  has  seen  them  pounce  upon  and  carry 
off  partridges  which  were  brought  to  the  ground  a  few  moments 
before  by  the  gun,  and  that,  on  a  certain  occasion,  he  actually  shot 
one  when  in  the  very  act  of  making  off  with  a  bird  which  he  had 
seized  the  moment  it  was  knocked  down  at  a  long  shot. 


104  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

The  goshawk  also  destroys  immense  numbers  of  passenger- 
pigeons,  as  well  as  the  diflferent  varieties  of  ducks,  such  as  mal- 
lards, teal,  black-duck,  &c.  Audubon  mentions  having  seen  this 
hawk  strike  and  carry  off  all  these  fowl,  and  we  imagine  that 
almost  every  sportsman  must  be  familiar  with  their  extreme  bold- 
ness and  daring.  After  seizing  mallards,  they  turn  them  belly 
upwards  and  eat  the  flesh  off  their  breasts,  disdaining  all  other  less 
tender  and  juicy  parts  of  the  body  when  food  is  so  plentiful. 

The  sparrowhawk  is  also  a  most  outrageous  poacher  upon  all 
kinds  of  birds,  and,  being  extremely  dainty  in  his  taste  and  habits, 
we  doubt  not  that  he  also  destroys  numbers  of  young  partridges, 
if  not  the  old  ones.  We  have  over  and  over  again  witnessed  him 
in  the  act  of  carrying  off  smaller  birds. 

Sportsmen  should  never  fail  to  kill  these  birds  of  prey  whenever 
met  with,  as  they  answer  no  particular  good  purpose,  and  often 
materially  interfere  with  their  recreations.  It  is  no  uncommon 
thing  for  a  hawk,  in  severe  weather,  to  linger  about  the  haunts  of 
a  covey  of  birds  for  several  days  together,  picking  off  one  or  two 
whenever  a  suitable  opportunity  presents,  until  the  whole  covey 
is  destroyed. 

PREDICTIONS   REGARDING  GAME. 

An  observant  sportsman  will,  or  rather  should,  be  able  to  pre- 
dict, with  some  degree  of  certainty,  the  probable  abundance  or 
scarcity  of  game,  according  to  the  mildness  or  severity  of  the 
previous  winter,  the  dryness  or  wetness  of  the  spring,  and  the 
many  other  concomitant  circumstances  which  influence  the  habits 
of  game-birds  in  different  localities. 

HAUNTS   OF   PARTRIDGES. 

If  the  day  be  fine  and  clear,  the  birds  will  be  found  on  the 
wing  at  a  very  early  hour ;  if,  on  the  other  hand,  it  be  wet  and 
cold,  they  seem  very  loath  to  leave  their  roosting-places,  delaying 
their  flights  as  long  as  possible,  even  until  the  day  is  far  advanced. 
And  if  rain  should  set  in,  they  will  most  generally  desert  the 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  1Q5 

open  fields  entirely,  and  take  to  the  woods  and  thickets  for  pro- 
tection. 

"  Or  when  the  country  floats  with  sudden  rains, 
Or  driving  mists  deface  the  moistened  plains, 
In  vain  his  toils  the  unskilful  fowler  tries, 
While  in  thick  woods  the  feeding  partridge  lies." 

If  the  weather  has  been  dry  and  warm  for  several  days  previous 
to  going  out,  it  will  be  perfect  folly  to  hunt  on  the  hills  where 
there  is  a  scarcity  of  water.  And,  in  like  manner,  if  the  season 
has  been  wet,  it  will  be  equally  irrational  to  wade  through  the 
low  grounds,  as  these  birds  neither  affect  very  dry  situations  nor 
wet  localities,  but,  on  the  contrary,  prefer  rich  stubble-fields  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  a  clear  running  stream,  to  which  they  love 
to  resort  to  quench  their  thirst  after  the  morning's  feeding,  and 
preen  themselves  for  a  while  in  the  noonday  sun.  If  the  weather 
be  boisterous  and  windy,  without  rain,  partridges  may  most  fre- 
quently be  found  on  the  edge  of  close  cover,  or  on  the  sides  of 
rising  ground,  where  they  betake  themselves  for  shelter.  On  such 
days  they  will  lie  very  badly,  and  will  not  suffer  the  approach  of 
a  dog,  although  a  quiet  old  pointer  will  occasionally  get  right  on 
top  of  a  covey,  owing  to  the  wind  carrying  all  noise  off  from 
the  birds,  provided  he  hunts  up  wind,  as  all  dogs  should  be  taught 
to  do. 

If,  besides  being  stormy,  a  drizzling,  drenching  rain  should  set 
in,  we  would  advise  the  sportsman  to  withdraw  at  once  from  the 
field,  and  wait  patiently  until  the  elements  prove  more  propitious; 
otherwise,  he  will  not  only  run  the  risk  of  an  attack  of  rheuma- 
tism, but  also  of  ill-humor,  while  his  dogs  will  soon  become  jaded 
and  his  game-bag  continue  empty.  It  is  of  no  use  to  kick 
against  the  pricks,  neither  is  it  of  any  avail  to  get  out  of  temper 
and  make  fight  with  the  elements,  as  rain  it  will  in  spite  of  all  our 
scolding  and  bad-humor ;  and  it  will  be  much  better  to  hold  our- 
selves perfectly  resigned  to  the  will  of  the  Fates,  and  endeavor  to 
preserve  our  minds  unrufiled  by  conning  over  to  some  good  and 
patient  listener  the  numerous  wonderful  achievements  of  our  gun 
and  dog  in  former  days.     If,  however,  you  are  of  a  taciturn  dispo- 


106  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

sition,  and  take  no  delight  in  these  interesting  and  often  romantic 
recitals,  what  shall  we  advise  you  to  do  to  pass  the  time  when, 
perhaps,  quartered  away  in  some  dreary,  sequestered  spot,  out  of 
the  reach  of  books,  newspapers,  or  any  thing  else  whereby  to 
satisfy  an  inquiring  and  active  mind  ?  Ah !  we  have  it.  Call  for 
the  family  Bible ;  for  where  can  you  find  a  household,  in  our  favored 
country,  that  does  not  possess  one  of  these  time-worn  testimonials 
of  bygone  days  ?  Turn  to  the  register  of  births,  deaths,  and  mar- 
riages, and  you  will  soon  find  yourself  lost  in  deciphering  the 
hieroglyphics  of  these  important  family  records,  and  perhaps  thus 
while  away  an  hour  or  two  in  studying  some  long  genealogical 
table,  gravely  proving  that  the  ancient  founder  of  the  American 
Smith  family  first  landed  at  Plymouth  with  the  pilgrims  from  the 
Old  World,  and  afterwards  emigrated  to  these  parts,  where  he 
built  a  log-cabin  on  the  identical  spot  now  covered  by  the  house 
you  are  in,  and  which  still,  even  to  this  day,  continues  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  lineal  descendants  of  the  said  Smith  family.  What 
a  discovery !  Before  fully  awakening  from  your  surprise,  the  rain, 
perhaps,  will  have  ceased,  the  sun  broken  forth,  and  you  can  again 
joyfully  sally  forth  to  the  fields.  If  this,  perchance,  will  not 
engage  your  attention,  draw  a  chair  up  to  the  hickory  fire  that 
blazes  and  crackles  at  your  feet,  plant  your  broad  back  against 
the  chimney,  look  sullen,  kick  the  dogs,  and  go  to  sleep  as  soon  as 
possible.  Or,  if  it  suits  you  better,  walk  up  and  down  the  room 
for  an  hour  at  a  time,  making  the  whole  house  shake  and  tremble 
with  your  heavy  tread,  scolding,  and  staring  out  of  the  windows 
every  few  moments,  to  see  if  the  lowering  clouds  are  blowing 
away,  or  to  halloo  after  the  hostler  or  farm-hands,  whenever  you 
espy  them  about  the  premises,  demanding  their  opinion  as  to  the 
state  of  the  weather,  which,  nine  times  out  of  ten,  will  be  very 
cheering: — such,  for  example,  as,  "Well,  I  can't  say,  sair;  it  looks 
pretty  black  out  in  this  'ere  direction."  "Indeed,  it's  very  hard 
to  tell,  sair ;  but  it  sometimes  clears  up  when  the  wind  shifts  around 
to  that  'ere  quarter;"  pointing  to  the  west,  and  the  wind  still 
blowing  a  perfect  gale  from  the  east. 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  107 

GOOD   WEATHER. 

In  fair  weather,  partridges  will  be  found  out  in  the  stubble,  clo- 
ver, or  corn-fields,  near  to  a  hedge  or  some  other  cover.  If  a 
buckwheat-patch  be  in  the  neighborhood,  it  must  of  course  be 
visited ;  for  if  there  be  any  birds  in  those  parts,  they  will  most 
likely  be  about  this  field  in  preference  to  all  others.  As  we  have 
stated  before,  they  are  very  partial  to  this  kind  of  grain.  Par- 
tridges generally  feed  until  eleven  or  twelve  o'clock,  and  are  then 
either  quiescent  for  an  hour  or  two,  or  resort  to  some  favorite 
watering-place  or  gravelly  bank,  where  they  scratch  and  pick 
themselves  while  basking  in  the  sun.  We  have  often  found  them, 
at  this  time,  on  the  sunny  side  of  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree,  in  a 
fresh  clearing,  and  always  make  it  a  point  to  hunt  around  all  such 
places,  more  particularly  if  a  purling  stream  should  be  in  the 
vicinity. 

HINTS   FOR   THE   SPORTSMAN. 

It  behooves  the  shooter  at  this  hour  of  the  day  to  desist  for  a 
while  from  his  labors,  and  refresh  himself  as  well  as  his  dogs  with 
a  little  quiet  and  a  small  snack  of  something  to  eat  and  drink. 
He  need  not  be  fearful  of  wasting  time  by  this  trifling  suspension 
of  his  sport,  as  both  himself  and  dogs  will  hunt  with  more  vigor 
and  energy  after  this  truce,  and  the  birds  will  have  had  time  to 
collect  together  their  scattered  forces,  ready  for  another  onset, 
provided  he  should  retrace  his  steps  over  the  morning's  grounds. 
Fresh  birds  will  also  have  left  their  watering-places,  and  be  busily 
occupied  in  the  stubble-fields  feeding.  A  selfish  disposition  is  to 
be  despised  in  any  one ;  but  when  it  occupies  a  large  space  in  the 
heart  of  a  sporting  character,  it  is  more  frequently  and  disgust- 
ingly displayed  than  in  any  other  person:  at  least,  such  is  our 
opinion  of  the  matter ;  and  when  a  shooter  has  such  a  wild  furor  for 
killing  birds  that  he  cannot  remain  quiet  for  half  an  hour  during 
this  period  of  the  day,  or  sufier  his  faithful  dogs  to  snatch  a  few 
moments  of  respite  from  their  arduous  duties,  but,  on  the  contrary, 


108 


LEWIS    S    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


considers  sucli  an  intermission  of  his  sport  as  an  actual  loss  of 
time,  we  are  forced  to  class  him  with  that  unenviable  race  of  beings 
known  as  pot-hunters,  or,  at  all  events,  but  one  degree  above  them, 
and,  of  course,  mean  and  narrow-minded  in  the  extreme. 

♦'  Some  greedy  elves — 
Pot-hunters  vile ! — appear  to  grieve 
If  forced  a  single  bird  to  leave. 
Such  men  avoid,  and  be  your  pride 
With  those  that  soon  are  satisfied." 


EARLY  DAWN. 

Before  leaving  their  roosts  in  the  morning,  partridges  appear  to 
welcome  the  return  of  a  new  day,  and  to  congratulate  themselves 
on  the  general  safety  of  the  family  circle,  by  a  low,  shrill,  twitter- 
ing noise,  somewhat  resembling  the  sounds  produced  by  young 
turkeys,  or  perhaps  more  cheerful  and  harmonious  than  that  often 
heard  issuing  from  a  covey  when  in  the  act  of  springing,  if  dis- 
turbed while  feeding  in  an  open  field.  These  mutual  greetings  at 
an  end,  the  covey  take  their  flight  to  some  favorite  feeding-ground, 
most  generally  the  adjoining  field,  or  perhaps  run  off'  in  quest  of 
food  immediately  around  them ;  but  they  are  not  very  apt  to  roost 
in  the  same  field  where  they  habitually  feed. 

The  reason  why  partridges  seldom  or  never  roost  in  the  same 
field  where  they  feed  is  perhaps  owing  to  a  natural  instinctive  pre- 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  109 

caution  which  thej  possess ;  that  is,  the  dread  they  have  of  leaving 
a  trail  behind  them  by  which  they  could  be  traced  or  scented  out 
by  some  one  of  their  numerous  enemies  durmg  the  night,  and  sud- 
denly  pounced  upon  either  by  the  prowling  fox,  raccoon,  polecat, 
or  any  other  nocturnal  animal  common  to  the  districts  of  country 
which  they  frequent.  To  prevent  this  trail  being  left  behind  them, 
which  would  necessarily  be  the  case  if  they  ran  to  roost,  they  very 
cunningly  take  a  short  flight  to  an  adjoining  field,  and  settle  down 
for  the  night  immediately  about  the  spot  where  they  alight.  By 
this  device  they  entirely  free  themselves  of  the  treacherous  trail 
which  otherwise  would  follow  them  to  their  unprotected  retreat. 

SNOW. 

If  it  should  snow,  the  birds  keep  close  huddled  together  under 
some  brushwood,  in  the  deep  sedge,  or  in  the  corners  of  what  are 
called  snake  or  worm-fences.  They  never  go  about  during  a  snow- 
storm, and  consequently  are  often  covered  completely  up  by  a  deep 
fall,  and  find  great  difiiculty  in  freeing  themselves  from  their  cheer- 
less prison  when  the  tempest  has  abated.  When  the  weather 
threatens  to  be  severe  and  the  snow  very  deep,  in  the  interior  of 
the  Atlantic  States,  partridges  betake  themselves  to  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  sea-shore,  where  it  is  usually  milder,  and  the  snow  but 
seldom  lies  over  a  day  or  two.  There  is  also  generally  a  great 
abundance  of  thick  sedge  in  such  localities,  in  the  depths  of  which 
they  find  shelter  and  plenty  of  food.  In  the  autumn  of  1845  we 
met  with  great  numbers  of  partridges  in  the  sedge  on  the  sea-shore, 
and  witnessed  some  excellent  shooting  by  a  companion,  a  memo- 
randum of  which  we  published  at  the  time  in  the  Spirit,  and  now 
avail  ourselves  of  this  opportunity  to  transfer  it  to  these  pages. 

PARTRIDGE   SHOOTING  IN  DELAWARE. 

BIRDS 

Friday,  Nov.  28 — Fair,  but  blowing  a  gale;  bagged 42 

Saturday,  Nov.  29 — Good  day,  but  over  the  same  ground 33 

Tuesday,  Dec.  2— Blowing  a  stiff  breeze,  and  over  the  same  ground,  with 

little  variation ^ 

Total 110 

Or,  within  a  fraction  of  37  birds  per  diem. 


110  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

Nearly  if  not  every  bird  was  killed  singly,  as  we  were  particu- 
larly unfortunate  in  shooting  into  coveys,  never  having  bagged  over 
two  at  any  one  time ;  but  most  generally  we  tipped  the  first  two 
that  rose  when  flushed. 

Since  writing  the  above  account  for  the  Spirit,  we  have  heard 
of  some  shooting  that  far  exceeded  this  count  in  the  number  of 
the  slain;  but  we  doubt  very  much  whether  the  shooting  in  itself 
was  beaten,  for,  taking  the  state  of  the  weather,  the  quantity  of 
birds,  and  all  other  attendant  circumstances,  into  consideration,  we 
think  there  are  very  few  of  our  crack  shots  that  could  have  done 
as  well,  and  many  we  are  sure  would  not  have  accomplished  as 
much.  The  best  shooting,  however,  or  rather  the  biggest  shooting, 
on  partridges,  that  we  have  yet  heard  of,  is  that  of  three  gentle- 
men living  in  the  neighborhood  of  Lynchburg,  Virginia,  who 
bagged  over  one  hundred  partridges  each  during  one  day's  shoot- 
ing. This  season  of  1851  and  1852,  partridges  have  been  un- 
usually plenty,  more  particularly  along  the  large  watercourses, 
owing  to  several  circumstances,  all  of  which  an  observant  sports- 
man will  readily  understand.* 

Firstly,  The  previous  winter  having  been  remarkably  mild  and 
open,  few  or  no  birds  were  destroyed  by  exposure  to  cold ;  neither 
were  they  driven  by  the  scarcity  of  food  into  the  deceptive  traps  or 
still  more  cruel  tunnel-nets. 


*  Game  Abundant. — We  learn  from  the  Upper  Mississippi  country,  that  the 
prairies  in  the  vicinity  of  Keokuk  and  Rock  Island  are  teeming  with  partridges 
in  unheard-of  abundance.  Large  numbers  are  now  brought  from  those  places  to 
the  New  Orleans  market.  A  few  days  since  we  noticed,  on  board  of  a  steamboat, 
coops  containing  one  hundred  and  forty  dozen  of  these  birds.  Also,  the  steamer 
Saranak,  on  her  last  trip  down,  brought  one  hundred  dozen.  A  gentleman  informs 
us,  that  a  party  with  nets  left  Keokuk  lately,  and  repaired  to  the  island  below  that 
town.  They  took  four  hundred  birds  in  a  single  afternoon.  Partridges  sell  in 
this  market  at  from  75  cents  to  $1  per  dozen.  In  Keokuk  they  can  be  had  at 
from  40  to  50  cents  per  dozen. 

The  St.  Louis  Evening  News  also  states  that  large  quantities  of  grouse,  par- 
tridges, deer,  and  other  game,  are  daily  sent  from  that  place,  almost  every  steamer 
carrying  out  as  many  as  it  can  accommodate.  They  are  shipped  to  various  points 
on  the  Ohio,  and  in  many  instances  have  been  sent  as  far  as  Baltimore,  Philadelphia, 
and  New  York.  So  large  has  this  export  been  this  season,  that  these  articles  are 
now  commanding  an  unusually  high  rate  at  St.  Louis. 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  HI 

Secondly.  The  following  spring  and  summer  months  were  un- 
usually dry,  and  especially  suited  for  the  purposes  of  hatching 
and  rearing  the  young  brood,  which  often  suffer  so  lamentably  from 
the  effects  of  a  long-continued  wet  spell,  as  we  have  before  re- 
marked under  a  different  heading. 

Thirdly.  The  drought  having  extended  through  the  summer 
and  even  autumn  months,  all  the  smaller  streams  and  inland  water- 
courses became  entirely  dry ;  and  those  sections  of  country  thus 
failing  in  water  were  abandoned  en  masse  by  all  the  birds ;  and 
this  will  account  for  their  location  among  the  hills  and  stubble- 
fields  adjacent  to  the  large  river-courses.  We  met  this  season  with 
great  numbers  of  partridges  on  the  large  and  beautifully-cultivated 
islands  of  the  Susquehanna,  but  found  it  rather  difficult  to  shoot 
them,  in  consequence  of  the  birds  on  the  first  alarm  darting  along 
anjd  under  the  high  river-banks,  where  they  conceal  themselves  so 
securely  that  it  is  quite  impossible  to  drive  them  out.  Our  friend 
C.  T.  Phillips,  Esq.,  killed  this  season  sixty-one  birds  in  one  day, 
which  of  itself  is  sufficient  to  prove  how  numerous  they  must  have 
been; — not  wishing,  however,  by  this  remark,  to  detract  in  the 
least  from  our  friend's  skill  in  shooting ;  for  every  one  who  has 
been  out  with  him  in  the  field  knows  that  he  is  one  of  the  very 
best  shots  that  goes  forth  from  our  city ;  but  in  ordinary  seasons 
it  is  not  very  often  that  the  most  industrious  and  persevering 
sportsman  will  get  sixty-one  shots  in  a  day,  much  less  bag  so 
many  birds. 

One  of  Mr.  Skinner's  correspondents,  detailing  some  of  the 
particulars  of  a  day's  shooting,  states  that  his  companion  fired 
forty-three  times,  killed  thirty-eight,  and  wounded  four,  only 
missing  clearly  once;  and,  what  is  most  remarkable  of  all,  this 
accomplished  sportsman,  with  a  double-barrelled  flint  gun,  whirled 
and  fired  five  times  with  both  barrels,  in  different  directions,  killed 
nine  times,  and  wounded  the  tenth.  This  we  consider  the  best 
record  of  shooting  that  has  as  yet  come  to  our  knowledge ;  and  we 
agree  with  the  chronicler  of  these  worthy  deeds  that  it  required 
''a  ready  hand  and  a  quick  eye'  to  accomplish  it,  when  we  recol- 


112  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

lect,  as  before  observed,  that  the  American  partridge,  sans  doute, 
is  the  most  difficult  of  all  game-birds  to  be  brought  down.  This, 
too,  is  the  opinion  of  Frank  Forrester,  and  all  others  equally  com- 
petent to  judge. 

A  friend  of  the  author's,  a  genuine  sportsman,  at  our  particular 
request  very  kindly  furnished  us  with  a  leaf  from  his  shooting- 
register  for  the  year  1854,  which  exhibits  the  following  results : — 

Deer 7 

Hares 45 

Wild  ducks 18 

Ruffed  grouse 11 

Partridges 533 

Total 652 

All  of  the  above  were  bagged  within  the  limits  of  Pennsylvania 
except  the  deer,  which  were  killed  in  the  State  of  New  York 
during  one  hunt,  circumstances  having  prevented  any  other  ex- 
peditions. 

Provided  with  one  dog  only,  and  in  the  same  neighborhood — in 
fact,  almost  over  the  same  ground  each  day,  this  accomplished 
sportsman  brought  to  bag  as  follows : — 


1854 

PARTRIDGKS. 

•WOODCOCKS. 

HARES. 

EEAO, 

October  16.., 

23 

23 

(i 

17... 

42 

2. 

..   4 

48 

(( 

19... 

28 

..   3 

31 

<( 

20... 

27 

1. 

..   3 

31 

« 

21... 

43 

..  4 

47 

Total.. 

....  163 

3. 

THE 

FIELD. 

...  14 

180 

"  See  how  the  well-taught  setter  leads  the  way : 
The  scent  grows  warm.    He  stops  ;  he  springs  the  prey ; 
The  fluttering  coveys  from  the  stubble  rise, 
And  on  swift  wing  divide  the  sounding  skies. 
The  scattering  lead  pursues  the  certain  sight ; 
And  death,  in  thunder,  overtakes  their  flight." 

It  is  now  quite  time  that  we  should  proceed  to  the  field,  which 
we  will  endeavor  to  do  with  all  possible  despatch,  accompanied  by 
all  the  paraphernalia  necessary  for  the  legitimate  and  sportsmanlike 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  Hg 

way  of  bagging  game,  and  properly  equipped,  or  rather  suitably 
dressed,  as  every  gentleman  should  be  under  all  circumstances, 
whether  in  the  ballroom,  encompassed  on  every  side  by  a  gay 
throng  of  sparkling  eyes,  not  less  fatal  in  their  glances  oftentimes 
than  the  reeking  shot  that  is  sent  whirling  from  his  unerring  gun 
or  in  the  wide-extended  stubble-field,  surrounded  by  his  faithful 
setters,  stanch  pointers,  crafty  marksman,  and  jovial  companions. 
The  uncleared  state  of  our  country,  and  a  comfortable  scarcity  of 
game  in  the  Middle  States,  render  it  necessary  to  have  two  dogs ; 
at  all  events,  it  is  much  better  to  have  them,  and,  from  our  ex- 
perience, we  are  led  to  recommend  one  to  be  a  pointer  and  the 
other  a  setter.  The  weather  in  the  early  part  of  the  season  is 
often  very  warm  and  dry ;  and  the  setter,  if  overworked,  will  most 
assuredly  give  out  if  not  lavishly  supplied  with  water,  which,  by- 
the-by,  it  is  often  impossible  to  obtain  in  some  districts  of  country ; 
while  the  pointer,  on  the  other  hand,  will  sufier  very  little  or  no 
inconvenience  either  from  the  heat  or  thirst.  The  setter,  however, 
is  peculiarly  serviceable  at  this  period  of  the  season :  being  well 
protected  by  his  long  shaggy  hair,  he  does  not  for  a  moment  hesi- 
tate to  penetrate  the  closest  coverts,  to  which  the  birds  are  so  apt 
to  take  when  disturbed.  It  is  quite  impossible  for  the  smooth- 
haired,  wiry  pointer  to  insinuate  himself  into  these  brakes  or  fast- 
nesses ;  and  if,  in  his  eagerness  to  keep  up  with  his  companion,  he 
is  forced  into  such  places,  he  always  retires  from  them  with  his 
body  and  tail  dreadfully  lacerated  by  the  thorns  and  briers  that 
are  now  flourishing  so  thick  and  rank. 

Having  provided  ourselves  with  dogs  and  all  necessary  ammuni- 
tion, we  will  now  imagine  that  we  have  arrived,  at  a  late  hour  in 
the  afternoon,  at  the  tavern  or  farm-house  from  which  we  purpose 
to  sally  the  next  morning  in  pursuit  of  game.  The  first  thing  to 
be  attended  to  by  every  sensible  sportsman  is  the  welfare  of  his 
dogs,  as  most  of  his  enjoyment  depends  upon  their  exertions, 
and  therefore  no  trouble  on  his  part  should  be  spared  to  keep  them 
in  proper  condition.  The  dogs  being  well  fed  and  comfortably 
housed,  the  sportsman  may  then  think  of  his  own  comfort.     We 

8 


114  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

never  trust  any  one  to  feed  our  dogs,  no  matter  how  fatigued  we 
may  be,  but  make  it  a  positive  rule,  from  which  there  is  no  appeal, 
to  attend  to  this  duty  ourselves,  and  most  generally  superintend 
the  cooking  of  their  suppers  as  well  as  sharing  it  out  to  them 
when  done ;  for  where  can  we  find  an  ignorant  country-servant  or 
farm-hand  willing  to  bestow  the  necessary  attention  upon  the  pre- 
paration and  serving-up  of  food  for  an  over-fatigued  and  perhaps 
delicate  pointer  ?  Besides  all  this,  there  is  another  reason,  equally 
important,  why  the  sportsman  should  feed  his  dogs  himself:  it 
attaches  the  animals  to  him,  and  consequently  makes  them  the 
more  subservient  to  his  will,  and  therefore  the  more  anxious  to  do 
that  which  will  merit  his  caresses  and  kind  treatment.  This  is 
really  far  more  important  than  many  careless  owners  of  dogs 
suppose;  it  is  a  feature  in  sporting  that  should  not  be  over- 
looked, and  we  wish  particularly  to  call  the  attention  of  our 
friends  to  its  operation.  For,  after  all,  the  pleasures  resulting 
from  the  field  are  almost  entirely  dependent  upon  the  good  and 
gentle  behavior  of  our  dogs ;  for  without  their  exhilarating  presence 
and  cheerful  assistance,  the  hunting  of  most  game  would  be  not 
only  very  tame,  but  very  uncertain  amusement. 

Having  partaken  of  our  supper,  smoked  our  regalia,  and  sipped 
perhaps  a  glass  of  warm  punch, — but  only  one,  and  that  very  light, — 
we  retire  to  our  own  room  at  an  early  hour,  unpack  our  carpet-bag, 
and  arrange  all  the  shooting-apparatus  ready  for  the  morrow's 
expedition.  This  being  done,  we  go  to  bed,  sleep  soundly,  and 
get  up  at  the  first  dawn  of  day,  big  with  expectations  and  ready 
for  action.  Every  thing  being  arranged  over-night,  we  find  all 
the  shooting-accoutrements  at  our  very  finger-ends,  and  conse- 
quently are  enabled  to  dress  very  leisurely,  without  bustle  or 
confusion.  Breakfast  being  despatched, — which,  by-the-by,  should 
be  a  very  substantial  repast, — we  call  our  dogs  around  us,  give 
them  a  light  feed  without  flesh,  and  then,  with  a  chosen  companion, 
away  to  the  fields, 

"  Soon  as  the  eastern  skies  display 
The  rosy  tints  of  welcome  day." 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  II5 

Do  not  be  in  too  great  a  hurry  for  the  first  half  hour.  Go  along 
leisurely,  and  give  the  dogs  an  opportunity  to  empty  themselves, 
clear  their  nostrils,  and  tune  their  olfactory  apparatus  to  a  fine 
degree  of  nicety  by  snuffing  the  untainted  morning  breeze. 

It  is  always  better  to  engage  the  services  of  a  person  to  act 
as  marker.  He  can  also  carry  on  his  arm  a  small  basket  con- 
taining extra  ammunition  and  a  few  nicely-prepared  sandwiches 
for  luncheon. 


MODE   OF   HUNTING  DOGS. 

Having  already  given  a  very  minute  and  detailed  account  of 
the  partridge,  as  well  as  carried  the  sportsman  into  the  field  and 
conducted  him  to  the  spots  where  he  would  most  likely  find  the 
game,  it  now  remains  for  us  to  talk  with  him  upon  a  subject  of 
the  utmost  importance, — namely,  "  the  proper  manner  in  which  to 
hunt  his  dogs." 

In  the  first  place,  let  me  warn  you  against  venturing  into  the 
field  for  a  day's  hunt  with  half-broken  dogs,  more  especially  if  in 
company,  as  you  will  only  worry  yourself  and  annoy  your  friends ; 
but  rather  stay  at  home,  or  go  alone  attended  by  such  torments. 
If  you  go  in  company,  you  will  not  be  able  to  teach  them  any 
thing,  owing  to  the  ill-temper  either  of  yourself  or  friends; 
whereas,  on  the  other  hand,  if  you  go  alone,  you  will  soon  break 
them  in,  after  a  few  disappointments,  and  perhaps  have  a  fine  day's 
shooting.      An  old  stanch  pointer  is  the  best  field  mentor  for 


116  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

Young  dogs, — far  preferable  to  a  setter,  no  matter  how  superior 
he  may  be,  as  the  pointer  makes  a  far  more  honest  and  unmis- 
takable stand  than  the  setter,  and  at  all  times  is  more  certain  in 
his  behavior. 

Young  and  heedless  dogs  at  all  times  are  great  pests  in  the 
field,  and  we  are  often  led  to  suppose  that  they  ought  to  be  broken 
thoroughly  before  taken  out;  at  all  events,  they  should  be  under 
perfect  control,  so  far  as  coming  and  going,  before  we  force  them 
into  the  company  of  our  friends'  dogs  to  run  and  caper  over  the 
fields,  flushing  and  tearing  after  the  birds,  perfectly  reckless  of  the 
consequences.  However,  we  have  not  much  fear  of  a  well-bred 
dog,  while  under  our  tuition,  disturbing  the  sport  of  our  friends 
while  in  the  field,  after  we  have  once  made  him  understand  the 
gross  impropriety  of  running  after  birds ;  for  we  are  satisfied  that 
few  or  none  will  ever  repeat  the  offence  a  second  or  third  time  after 
they  have  escaped  from  our  perhaps  cruel  hands.  If  they  do,  we 
are  willing  to  pass  them  over  to  the  keeping  of  some  one  else  far 
more  patient  and  tender  than  we  pretend  to  be  with  obstinate  and 
reckless  animals. 

Good  dogs  should  be  procured  by  provident  sportsmen  before 
the  shooting  season  comes  around ;  they  can  be  had  far  cheaper  at 
such  times,  will  become  familiar  with  their  new  master,  and  learn 
to  understand  his  every  look  and  gesture.  Always  purchase  young 
dogs  in  preference  to  old  ones,  even  if  they  should  not  be  so  well 
broken.  Old  dogs  are  contrary,  or  rather  self-willed,  and  if  they 
have  perchance  any  vices,  they  are  difficult  to  be  got  rid  off. 
Young  dogs  are  far  more  pliable,  and  if  intelligent  will  soon 
accommodate  themselves  to  your  peculiar  habits  and  modes  of 
hunting,  and,  what  is  very  important,  will  not  require  replacing  as 
soon  as  old  dogs.  You  should  not  expect  the  dog  to  study  your 
character  alone,  but  recollect  that  it  is  equally  the  duty  of  the  master 
to  strive  to  understand  the  disposition  and  temper  of  his  faithful 
coadjutor.  If  timid  and  wanting  in  confidence,  he  must  be  cheered 
rather  than  reproved ;  if  bold  and  full  of  action,  he  must  be  restrained 
within  proper  bounds ;  if  negligent  of  commands  and  regardless  of 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  117 

instruction,  he  must  be  flogged,  and  that  soundly,  till  brought  to  a 
proper  appreciation  of  your  supreme  authority. 

Some  dogs,  as  individuals,  require  far  more  correction  than 
others;  the  lash,  consequently,  should  be  employed  with  a  tem- 
pered hand;  no  dog  ought  to  be  punished  except  he  is  made 
perfectly  sensible  of  his  misconduct,  and,  being  once  fully  ap- 
prised of  his  improprieties,  should  never,  through  negligence  or 
sickly  sympathy,  be  allowed  to  escape  the  most  condign  and 
immediate  chastisement. 

The  fear  of  punishment  at  the  hands  of  man  has  a  wonderful 
influence  over  the  actions  of  all  animals;  but  over  none  is  this 
controlling  power  more  forcibly  exercised  than  in  the  canine  race. 
The  castigation,  to-be-sure,  may  oftentimes  be  of  the  lightest 
character — an  angry  look,  a  harsh  word,  or  a  single  blow ;  still,  the 
faithful  creature  feels  it  all,  and  that  very  acutely,  and  by  his 
meek  submission  expresses  repentance,  and  by  his  servile  crouch- 
ing acknowledges  the  utter  helplessness  of  his  position. 

It  were  quite  unnecessary  for  me  to  tell  the  sensible  sportsman 
never  to  kick  or  strike  a  dog  with  a  heavy  bludgeon ;  but  we  fear 
lest  there  may  be  some  of  our  readers  who  have  not  properly 
thought  over  this  matter,  as  we  have  occasionally  witnessed  scenes 
in  the  field  that  have  fairly  thrilled  us  with  horror.  A  reckless, 
headstrong  dog,  we  grant,  is  quite  enough  to  try  the  temper  of 
the  most  self-governed  man  in  the  world,  but  nevertheless  should 
not  be  quite  sufficient  to  cause  him  to  kick  him  in  anger  or  shoot 
him  in  desperation  and  rage.  If  w^e  cannot  control  our  own  actions 
by  the  aid  of  education  and  our  reasoning  faculties,  how  should 
we  expect  a  dumb  brute  to  do  it,  who  has  had  so  much  less 
tutoring  and  possesses  but  a  tittle  of  the  intellectual  strength 
bestowed  on  us ! 

The  natural  instinct  or  bent  of  inclination  is,  we  all  know,  very 
powerfully  coercive  in  its  operations  over  the  actions  of  the  brute 
creation:  how  difficult  then  must  it  ever  be  for  a  high-strung,  full- 
blooded  dog  to  suppress  the  spontaneous  impulse  that  urges  him 
to  spring  upon  game  when  under  his  very  nose,  or  race  after  it  when 


118  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

on  the  wing.  The  act  of  pointing  game,  it  must  be  recollected,  is 
not  a  truly  automatic  instinct  of  the  animal,  as  many  suppose,  but 
the  beautiful  result  of  discipline  and  long  training  in  one  special 
branch.  The  habit,  however,  has  now  become  so  confirmed, 
through  this  persevering  education  on  the  part  of  sportsmen,  that 
each  generation  of  pointers,  more  particularly  those  of  pure  breeds, 
seem  to  possess  an  involuntary  desire  to  practise  those  actions  that 
have  been  inculcated  by  the  lash  in  their  forefathers. 

Many  breeds  of  pointers  have  this  faculty  of  standing  game  so 
early  and  powerfully  developed  that  it  is  analogous  to  second 
nature;  for  we  often  see  whole  litters  of  pups  stop  so  instinctively 
at  the  first  scent  of  game,  that  they  point  the  moment  they  come 
upon  partridges,  without  the  least  tutoring,  and  without  knowing 
the  why  or  the  wherefore. 

There  may  be,  however,  more  instinct  in  this  practice  of  point- 
ing than  we  are  at  first  willing  to  suppose,  as  we  know  that  most 
predatory  animals  either  lie  in  wait  for  prey  or  creep  crouchingly 
towards  it  for  the  purpose  of  surprise.  In  the  pointer,  therefore, 
the  habit  may  be  somewhat  instinctive  in  itself;  but,  as  now  per- 
fected and  propagated  in  the  whole  breed,  is  the  result,  as  before 
stated,  of  nice  education.  It  is  better  in  throwing  the  dogs  ofi"  to 
give  them  the  wind,  which  they  afterwards  will  be  very  apt  to 
keep,  if  taught  to  quarter  their  ground  properly.  Dogs  should  be 
spoken  to  as  little  as  possible  in  the  field,  and  as  much  should  be 
accomplished  by  signal  as  can  be ;  the  eye  and  the  hand  should  do 
far  more  than  the  voice.  If  well  broken,  they  may  be  allowed  to 
range  pretty  widely,  so  that  they  remain  in  sight.  Young  dogs 
must  always  be  within  hearing ;  otherwise  they  commit  some  gross 
errors  without  being  reprimanded  at  the  proper  moment.  When 
the  dogs  come  to  a  stand,  approach  as  noiselessly  as  possible,  and, 
if  the  grass  be  deep,  lift  the  feet  high  and  tread  as  lightly  as  you 
are  able ;  and,  if  the  birds  are  wild  and  lie  badly,  incline  the  body 
forward,  so  as  to  keep  it  somewhat  out  of  view.  Flush  the  bird 
yourself,  by  advancing,  if  necessary,  even  before  the  dogs,  as  it  is 
a  bad  practice  to  encourage  the  dogs  to  do  it  by  hieing  them  on. 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  119 

Young  dogs  can  never  stand  such  training,  as  they  are  not  able,  or 
at  all  events,  being  so  very 'eager,  are  not  willing,  to  comprehend 
the  wide  difference  between  flushing  the  game  when  their  master  is 
directly  behind  them  and  doing  it  for  their  own  particular  gratifi- 
cation when  he  is  entirely  out  of  gunshot.  Old  dogs  may  be  hied 
on  occasionally,  when  circumstances  seem  to  demand  it,  but  young 
dogs  never,  except  we  wish  to  spoil  them  and  consequently  give 
ourselves  a  world  of  trouble  in  breaking  them. 

When  the  game  is  sprung,  do  not  fire  at  random  into  the  covey ; 
if  you  do,  you  will  be  sadly  disappointed  at  your  want  of  success. 
On  the  contrary,  carefully  select  one  bird,  on  which  draw,  and 
then  give  the  other  barrel  to  another,  perhaps  one  of  the  stragglers 
last  up.  Never  mind  the  dead  birds ;  your  dogs  ought  to  be  able 
to  find  them.  Watch  the  covey,  if  you  have  no  marker,  and  see 
exactly  where  they  alight ;  and  follow,  if  practicable,  as  soon  as 
your  gun  is  loaded.  It  is  better  not  to  stir  from  the  spot  where 
you  are  standing  till  your  gun  is  charged  again,  as  there  may  have 
been  one  or  two  stragglers  left  behind  when  the  covey  flew.  En- 
deavor at  all  times  to  be  on  the  qui  vive  for  such  as  may  be  termed 
chance  shots,  which  will  amount  to  a  great  deal  in  the  course  of  a 
day's  shooting.  Dogs  should  be  made  to  couch  immediately  at  the 
springing  of  a  covey,  or  taught  to  come  to  heel  without  rating,  and 
never  alloAved  to  seek  dead  birds  till  after  the  gun  is  charged  a 
second  time.  A  retriever  that  rushes  out  immediately  on  the  firing 
of  the  gun,  in  quest  of  the  fallen  victim,  oftentimes  does  an  im- 
mense deal  of  harm ;  he  should  be  taught  to  bring  the  bird  when 
directed,  and  not  before.  It  is  a  very  difl&cult  task  to  teach  any 
animal,  no  matter  how  sagacious  he  may  be,  this  nicety  in  fetching 
dead  game,  as  his  first  impulse  is  to  hreak  shot  and  seize  the  bird 
the  very  moment  it  falls  to  the  ground ;  and  it  is  next  to  an  im- 
possibility to  restrain  a  dog  under  such  circumstances.  In  fact, 
we  have  never  yet  met  with  a  pointer  or  setter  that  was  perfectly 
broken  in  this  respect ;  although  we  have  had  two  as  good  re- 
trievers as  ever  went  into  a  field,  in  the  common  acceptance  of  the 
term,  still,  they  would  most  generally  break  shot,  to  seize  the  bird 


120  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

the  moment  we  fired,  and  of  course  flush  any  birds  that  might  re- 
main. At  times  we  were  able  to  restrain  them,  more  especially 
when  hunting  alone ;  but  when  in  company  with  other  dogs  it  was 
entirely  out  of  the  question  to  control  them,  as  go  they  would  in 
quest  of  the  bird  in  spite  of  all  our  efforts  to  the  contrary.  This 
vice,  of  course,  had  a  most  baneful  influence  over  all  the  dogs  in 
company,  as  they,  naturally  desiring  to  follow  the  example  of  our 
retrievers,  could  with  difficulty  be  made  to  down  charge  as  they 
were  before  tutored,  preferring  rather  to  contest  the  right  to  the 
fallen  game  with  our  dogs.  We  have  been  annoyed  in  the  same 
way  more  than  once  with  retrievers  highly  lauded  by  our  friends ; 
and  we  must  confess  that  such  dogs,  as  a  general  thing,  although 
they  save  their  owners  some  little  trouble  in  picking  the  birds  up, 
do  a  great  deal  more  harm  than  good;  and  upon  the  whole  are 
very  bad  companions  for  old  and  steady  dogs,  as  well  as  most 
ruinous  preceptors  for  young  ones.  Of  course,  we  would  not  object 
to  a  perfectly-hrohen  retriever,  if  such  an  animal  can  be  found ;  but 
we  greatly  doubt  ever  seeing  so  much  perfection  in  either  a  good 
pointer  or  setter.  The  mere  act  of  fetching  dead  game  is  one  of 
the  simplest  feats  performed  by  most  of  the  members  of  the  canine 
race,  and  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  leading  natural  propensities  of  all 
hunting  ,dogs,  and  therefore  easily  cultivated  in  them.  But,  as 
before  observed,  the  great  stumbling-block  in  the  way  of  obtaining 
a  perfect  retriever  is  the  almost  utter  impossibility  by  any  course 
of  discipline,  no  matter  how  severe,  no  matter  how  persevering,  to 
make  a  dog  at  all  times  restrain  the  powerful  impulse  that  urges 
him  to  rush  forth  to  seize  the  fallen  game,  after  he  has  once  been 
taught  to  do  it. 

These  remarks,  of  course,  refer  to  pointers  and  setters  that  are 
otherwise  well  broken.  If,  however,  a  retriever  be  so  very  desirable 
or  necessary,  it  would  be  an  easy  task  to  break  one  of  either  of 
these  dogs  for  this  purpose  alone,  and  by  keeping  him  always  at 
one's  heels,  save  when  told  to  go  out  in  quest  of  the  dead  or 
wounded  game,  there  would  of  course  be  but.  little  trouble  in  re- 
straining him ;  whereas,  in  the  other  case,  the  dogs  are  generally 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  121 

considerably  in  advance  of  the  shooter,  and  cannot  therefore  be  so 
well  controlled  or  brought  to  heel  before  being  ordered  to  bring  the 
bird.  Any  kind  of  a  dog  almost  of  the  spaniel  or  even  terrier 
breed  can  be  taught  this  duty,  and  no  doubt  would  prove  very  ser- 
viceable in  recovering  many  birds,  in  the  course  of  a  day's  hunt, 
that  would  otherwise  be  lost. 

There  are  few  retrievers,  even  the  best  of  them,  but  that  will  at 
times  mouth  or  bite  their  game ;  and  some  can  never  be  taught  to 
handle  birds  tenderly.  The  best  plan  to  make  a  young  dog  gentle 
with  game,  is  to  practise  him  on  a  stuffed  partridge  having  wires 
running  through  the  body  and  the  sharp  points  extending  a  trifle 
from  beneath  the  feathers,  so  that  when  he  attempts  to  bite  or 
mouth  the  bird  the  wires  will  prick  his  jaws  pretty  severely.  This 
is  a  most  effectual  method,  if  persevered  in  for  a  little  while,  and 
will  even  do  much  towards  correcting  the  vice  in  an  old  dog.  If 
this  practice  is  tried  in  the  stubble-field,  it  is  better  that  the  bird 
be  rubbed  on  the  breast  or  back  with  a  piece  of  cheese  or  fresh 
meat,  so  as  to  give  it  an  odor  or  artificial  scent ;  otherwise  the  dog 
cannot  find  it  very  easily ;  or,  what  is  still  better  by  far,  rub  the 
stuffed  bird  with  a  genuine  partridge,  which  will  impart  to  its 
feathers  a  temporary  effluvium  that  the  dog  will  at  once  recognise, 
and  therefore  not  hesitate  to  seize  for  the  purpose  of  fetching, 

A  dog  that  will  industriously  and  perseveringly  hunt  up  wounded 
or  dead  birds  when  so  ordered,  we  consider  absolutely  a  sine  qud 
non  in  shooting.  In  truth,  a  dog  that  will  not  assist  his  master  in 
this  important  service  we  would  almost  consider  worthless  for  par- 
tridge-shooting in  some  particular  sections  of  country.  Every  dog 
can  be  taught  this  duty  without  much  trouble,  although  at  first  it  is 
often  necessary  to  exercise,  with  young  and  high-strung  animals, 
considerable  patience  and  perseverance,  so  as  to  confine  their  at- 
tention to  the  particular  spot  where  the  game  is  supposed  to  have 
fallen,  thus  giving  them  a  fair  opportunity  of  catching  the  scent 
of  the  bird  if  dead,  or  of  getting  upon  the  track  of  it  if  only 
wounded.  When  a  dog,  more  particularly  a  well-bred  setter,  has 
once  acquired  a  tact  and  fondness  for  this  particular  duty,  he  is 


122  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAX. 

most  invaluable  to  the  sportsman,  and  will  save  from  prolonged 
suffering  many  a  poor  bird  that  would  otherwise  linger  and  die 
from  its  fatal  wounds.  Upon  the  score,  then,  of  humanity  alone, 
we  should  teach  our  dogs  this  important  service,  and  never  permit 
them  to  abandon  a  disabled  bird  till  after  the  most  diligent  search. 
We  have  already  spoken  on  this  subject  under  the  head  of  "killing 
clean,"  and  cannot  too  strongly  impress  these  remarks  upon  the 
minds  of  our  readers. 

The  finding  of  dead  game  and  the  following-up  of  wounded 
birds,  however,  can  be  taught  a  dog  without  his  having  the  least 
idea  of  fetching  or  of  going  in  quest  of  the  game  till  so  ordered, 
and,  upon  the  whole,  we  think,  answers  a  far  better  purpose  than 
the  general  run  of  dogs  tutored  to  retrieve. 

As  for  our  own  part,  we  never  care  to  have  another  retriever  for 
general  sporting,  being  satisfied  to  act  dog  and  fetch  our  own 
game,  save  in  the  case  of  point  or  bar-shooting,  when  a  good 
water-dog  is  absolutely  indispensable.  To-be-sure,  we  may  lose 
an  occasional  bird  by  its  falling  across  a  creek  or  in  some  other 
inaccessible  place;  but  we  are  fully  convinced,  taking  all  the 
chances,  that  we  will  have  done  better  at  the  close  of  the  day  with- 
out the  services  of  an  ordinarily-broken  retriever  than  with  him. 
We  say  ordinarily-broken — by  which  we  mean  about  the  best  of 
those  that  we  have  ever  met  with  in  this  country,  where  gentlemen 
generally  take  upon  themselves  the  task  of  breaking  their  own 
dogs. 

Never  lose  a  bird,  if  possible,  which  you  have  once  marked  down, 
but  hunt  the  dogs  closely  about  the  spot,  kicking  the  stubble  or 
brushwood,  if  there  be  any.  Do  not  be  in  too  great  a  hurry  to  get 
over  the  ground,  and  by  a  little  patience  you  will  often  get  many 
shots  which  your  companion  in  his  anxiety  has  left  behind  him.  It 
is  by  such  manoeuvres  that  good  sportsmen  always  obtain  game,  no 
matter  how  scarce  it  may  be. 

We  doubt  not  that  many  of  our  readers  will  have  observed  the 
habit  which  partridges  have  of  lying  very  close  till  the  sportsman 
has  passed  by,  and  then  suddenly  flirting  up,  and  making  off  behind 


THE    PARTRIDGE.  123 

him,  before  he  has  time  to  turn  around;  therefore,  we  repeat  again, 
do  not  be  in  too  much  of  a  hurry.  Recollect  also  that  the  par- 
tridge of  America  has  been  pronounced  the  most  difficult  of  all 
game-birds  to  find,  or  to  kill  when  found,  and  that  frequently  they 
give  forth  no  scent  whatever  for  several  minutes  after  they. alight, 
and  consequently  will  defy  the  cleverest  dogs  to  point  them.  Do 
not,  therefore,  be  discouraged  either  at  your  want  of  success  in 
getting  birds  up,  or  your  want  of  skill  in  bringing  them  down,  on 
all  occasions ;  but  take  things  coolly,  and  hunt  your  dogs  patiently, 
more  particularly  when  the  birds  have  flown  to  close  cover. 

It  is  not  always  prudent  to  follow  birds  immediately  into  a  thick 
covert  overgrown  with  rank  underbrush,  as  they  will  give  forth  a 
better  odor  in  ten,  fifteen,  or  twenty  minutes  after  settling  than 
they  would  at  first.  Some  birds,  however,  run  the  very  moment 
they  have  struck  cover,  and  thus  may  be  lost  altogether,  as  they 
move  along  pretty  briskly  when  frightened,  and  after  a  lapse  of 
fifteen  minutes  may  be  a  mile  ofi"  from  where  they  alighted. 

Your  dogs  will  naturally,  or  rather  soon  learn  to  hunt  along 
the  sides  of  the  fields  adjoining  cover,  as  partridges  do  not  frequent 
the  middle  of  the  fields  except  in  portions  of  the  country  where 
they  are  seldom  or  never  hunted  after. 

When  the  dog  comes  to  a  point,  if  possible,  place  yourself  be- 
tween the  birds  and  the  cover,  and,  if  practicable,  face  the  wind, 
as  the  covey  when  rising  will  furnish  a  much  better  shot. 

Dogs  should  not  be  too  severely  rated  for  making  false  points, 
as  the  best  dogs  will  do  it  at  times ;  those  that  back  him,  of  course 
must  be  entirely  exonerated.  Dogs  possessing  the  very  nicest 
noses  are  occasionally  at  fault,  and  will  overrun  and  flush  single 
birds,  more  especially  in  hot,  dry  weather,  and  should  not  be  treated 
too  harshly  for  such  mishaps.  Much  advantage  is  gained  by  the 
mode  of  approaching  your  dogs  when  they  have  come  upon  a 
covey ;  and  every  shooter  should  be  able  to  judge  of  the  position 
of  the  birds  by  the  actions  of  the  dog. 

English  dogs,  we  are  satisfied,  from  personal  observation, — in  factj 
from  actual  experiment,  for  we  have  imported  several, — cannot  at 


124  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN.  ^ 

first  find  our  partridges  with  the  same  facility  with  which  our  dogs 
do ;  and  we  might  go  further,  and  say  there  never  was  an  imported 
dog  over  the  age  of  two  years  that  ever  acquired  the  art  of  finding 
the  American  partridge  equal  to  our  own  breed  of  pointers  and 
setters. 

We  might  enlarge  considerably  on  this  subject,  but  we  have 
already  referred  our  readers  to  Youatt's  work  on  the  dog,  wherein 
will  be  found  much  that  is  interesting  and  useful  on  this  head. 


MEMORANDA. 

1.  Partridges  are  not  migratory  birds,  although  great  numbers 
show  a  disposition  to  shift  their  quarters  at  the  running  season. 

2.  The  American  partridge  is  not  a  quail,  either  in  habits, 
appearance,  or  the  flavor  of  its  flesh 

3.  Partridges  commence  pairing  in  March ;  period  of  incubation, 
three  weeks.  The  young  are  capable  of  locomotion  as  soon  as 
freed  from  the  shell,  and  are  able  to  fly  in  three  or  four  weeks. 

4.  Not  susceptible  of  domestication  to  any  great  extent. 

5.  Partridges  are  granivorous,  and  said  to  be  very  partial  to 
buckwheat. 

6.  It  is  not  uncommon  for  them  to  produce  two  broods  in  one 
season. 

7.  Young  birds  have  soft  bills,  and  the  legs  yellowish  or  bluish, 
and  lack  the  cunning  of  the  old  birds. 

8.  The  English  bird  is  much  larger  than  the  American  variety. 


THE     PARTRIDGE.  125 

9.  It  is  of  no  use  to  follow  running  birds,  as  they  will  not  lie 
to  the  dogs. 

10.  Partridges  the  best  game  to  break  dogs  on. 

11.  Partridges  are  said  to  have  the  power  of  retaining  their 
scent. 

12.  A  dry  spring  will  generally  produce  plenty  of  birds  the 
following  autumn. 

13.  If  the  weather  has  been  wet  and  boisterous,  look  to  the  high 
ground  for  birds;  if,  on  the  contrary,  dry  and  warm,  seek  the  low- 
lands. 

14.  If  the  morning  is  fair  and  clear,  the  birds  will  be  on  the 
move  at  an  early  hour ;  if  wet  and  cold,  they  are  loath  to  stir. 

15.  Take  the  field  at  as  early  an  hour  as  possible.  Do  not  be 
in  too  great  a  hurry  to  get  over  the  ground ;  keep  cool,  and  take 
your  time. 

16.  Dogs  should  be  taught  to  hunt  up  wind  and  quarter  their 
ground  without  being  bellowed  at. 

17.  Pointers  are  better  adapted  for  early  shooting  than  setters ; 
but,  when  the  weather  is  cool,  give  us  the  never-flagging,  never-to- 
be-stopped  setter. 

18.  Flush  the  game  yourself;  never  allow  your  dogs  to  do  it. 

19.  Mark  the  covey  as  it  goes  ofi".  Pay  no  heed  to  the  dead 
birds ;  your  dogs  ought  to  find  them. 

20.  When  a  bird  towers  and  falls  suddenly,  he  is  struck  in  the 
head. 


CHAPTER   VII. 


THE   WILD   TURKEY.      MELEAGRIS   GALLIPAVO. 


**  On  the  top 
Of  yon  magnolia  the  loud  turkey's  voice 
Is  heralding  the  dawn :  from  tree  to  tree 
Extends  the  wakening  watch-note  far  and  wide. 
Till  the  whole  woodlands  echo  with  the  cry." 


126 


THE    WILD    TURKEY.  127 


DESCRIPTION.      ADULT   MALE. 


ILL  shortish,  robust,  slightly  arched, 
rather  obtuse,  the  base  covered  by  a 
bare  membrane;  upper  mandible  with 
the  dorsal  outline  arched,  the  sides  con- 
vex, the  edges  overlapping,  the  tip  a  little 
:  declinate ;  under  mandible  somewhat  bulg- 
ing towards  the  tip,  the  sides  convex. 
Nostrils  situated  in  the  basal  membrane, 
oblique,  linear,  covered  by  a  cartilage. 

Head  small,  flattened  above,  with  a  conical,  pendulous,  erectile 
caruncle  on  the  forehead.  Neck  slender.  Body  robust.  Feet 
longish  and  strong ;  tarsus  covered  anteriorly  with  numerous  trans- 
verse scutella,  scaly  on  the  sides,  scutellate  behind ;  toes  scutellate 
above,  scabrous,  papillar,  and  flat  beneath ;  hind-toe  elevated,  half 
the  length  of  the  lateral  toes,  which  are  nearly  equal,  and  much 
shorter  than  the  middle  toe ;  claws  slightly  arched,  strong,  convex 
above,  obtuse  flat  beneath.  A  conical,  rather  obtuse,  spur  on  the 
tarsus,  about  two-thirds  down.  Conical  papilla  of  the  forehead 
rugose,  sparsely  covered  with  bristles.  Head  bare  and  corrugated, 
the  skin  irregularly  raised,  and  covered  with  a  few  scattered 
bristles. 

External  ear  margined  with  short  and  slender  thin  feathers. 
Neck  also  bare,  corrugated,  beset  anteriorly  and  below  with  a 
series  of  oblong,  irregular,  cavernous  caruncles,  interspersed  with 
small,  bristly  feathers. 

Plumage  in  general  compact,  glossy,  with  metallic  reflection. 
Feathers  double,  as  in  other  gallinaceous  birds,  generally  oblong 
and  truncated.  A  pendulous  tuft  of  long  bristles  from  the  upper 
part  of  the  breast.  Wings  shortish,  convex,  rounded,  consisting 
of  eighteen  broad,  rounded  feathers,  capable  of  being  erected  and 
expanded  in  a  permanent  manner  when  the  bird  is  excited,  and 
reaching  nearly  to  the  ground  when  the  bird  stands  erect. 


128  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

Bill  yellowish-brown.  Frontal  caruncle  blue  and  red.  Rugose 
and  carunculated  skin  of  the  head  and  neck  of  various  tints  of 
blue  and  purple,  the  pendulous  anterior  caruncles  of  the  latter,  or 
the  wattles^  bright  red,  changing  to  blue.  Iris  hazel,  legs  and 
toes  bright  purplish-red ;  claws  brown.  Upper  part  of  the  back 
and  wings  brownish-yellow,  with  metallic  lustre,  changing  to  deep 
purple,  the  truncated  tips  of  the  feathers  broadly  margined  with 
velvet-black.  On  the  middle  and  lower  back,  the  black  terminal 
bands  of  the  feathers  almost  conceal  the  bronze  color.  The  large 
quill-coverts  are  of  the  same  color  as  the  back,  but  more  bronzed, 
with  purple  reflections. 

Quills  brownish-black,  the  primaries  banded  with  grayish-white, 
the  secondaries  with  brownish-white,  gradually  becoming  deeper 
towards  the  proximal  feathers,  which  are  similar  to  the  coverts. 
The  lower  part  of  the  back  and  the  coverts  are  deep  chestnut, 
banded  with  green  and  black.  The  tail-feathers  are  of  the  same 
color,  undulatingly  barred,  and  minutely  sprinkled  with  black,  and 
having  a  broad,  blackish  bar  towards  the  tip,  which  is  pale-brown 
and  minutely  mottled.  The  under  parts  are  duller.  Breast  of  the 
same  colors  as  the  back,  the  terminal  black  band  not  so  broad ; 
sides  dark-colored ;  abdomen  and  thighs  brownish-gray ;  under-tail 
coverts  blackish,  glossed  with  bronze,  and  at  the  tip  bright  reddish- 
brown. 

Length,  4  feet  1  inch ;  extent  of  wings,  5  feet  8  inches ;  beak, 
IJ  inches  along  the  ridge,  2  along  the  gap ;  tarsus,  7 J ;  middle 
toe,  5 ;  hind  toe,  2 ;  pectoral  appendage,  one  foot. 

The  female  is  considerably  inferior  in  size,  with  the  wattles  much 
smaller,  the  tuft  on  the  breast  comparatively  small  and  only  in  old 
birds,  the  color  of  the  plumage  duller,  there  being  but  little  of 
the  refulgent  hues  of  the  male,  and  the  lower  parts  brownish-black. 
The  young,  before  being  fledged,  are  pale,  brownish-yellow  above, 
pale  yellowish-gray  beneath,  the  top  of  the  head  brighter,  marked 
in  the  middle  with  a  longitudinal  pale-brown  band ;  the  back  and 
wings  spotted  with  brownish-black,  excepting  the  smaller  wing- 
coverts,  which  are  uniformly  dull  brown. 


THE    WILD    TURKEY.  129 

The  above  will  at  once  be  recognised  as  Audubon's  description 
of  this  magnificent  bird. 

NATURAL  HISTORY  AND   LOCALITIES — WHERE  FOUND. 

The  wild  turkey,  the  largest  of  all  the  fowls  that  have  been 
reclaimed  from  the  primeval  forests  of  this  or  any  other  country 
and  made  subservient  to  the  never-ceasing  wants  of  man,  stands 
pre-eminent  among  the  game-birds  of  America. 

In  former  times  this  noble  bird  wandered  in  undisturbed  peace 
and  quiet,  in  vast  armies,  from  one  end  of  our  remote  country  to 
the  other,  having  little  or  nothing  to  dread  from  the  savage 
inhabitants  of  those  wild  regions,  abounding  in  game  to  them  of  a 
much  more  attractive  as  well  as  useful  character.  Then  it  was,  be- 
fore the  pristine  forests  and  luxuriant  plains  of  this  vast  continent 
had  been  invaded  by  the  devastating  foot  of  the  white  man,  that 
this  proud  and  beautiful  fowl  roamed  in  joyous  security,  unmolested, 
unharmed,  in  its  native  haunts.  Then  it  was  that  the  haughty, 
vainglorious  gobblers,  in  conscious  freedom,  decked  in  the  most 
gorgeous  plumage,  with  outstretched  wings,  quivering  bodies,  and 
blustering  heads,  pompously  strutted  and  puffed  in  mimic  grandeur, 
as  it  were,  to  win  the  favor  of  their  amorous  but  still  unyielding 
mates,  or  meeting  in  battle  array  with  sanguinary  fury,  avenged 
their  jealous  desires.  Then  it  was,  hidden  away  in  some  choice 
umbrageous  copse,  that  the  anxious  mother,  without  fear,  without 
restraint,  patiently  hatched  and  reared  her  tender  brood,  and 
brought  them  forth  with  careless  solicitude,  to  feed  and  wander 
over  the  fruitful  plains. 

How  changed  is  all  this !  Scarcely  a  bird  is  now  to  be  encoun- 
tered on  the  whole  northern  and  eastern  Atlantic  seaboard.  The 
destroying  hand  of  the  white  man  is  stretched  forth,  and  his  vic- 
tims are  vainly  seeking  an  asylum  far  beyond  the  confines  of  the 
"Father  of  Waters;"  and  the  time  is  fast  approaching,  we  fear, 
when  we  shall  hear  of  the  wild  turkey  as  one  of  the  almost  extinct 
species  of  our  land. 

Few  or  none  are  to  be  met  with,  at  this  present  time,  north  or 


130  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

east  of  Pennsylvania,  and  few — very  few — in  some  of  the  remotest 
portions  of  this  latter  State.  Small  flocks  are  found  in  the  wild 
and  woody  regions  of  Virginia,  larger  numbers  in  Ohio,  Indiana, 
Illinois,  and  Kentucky,  but  only  in  considerable  congregations  in 
the  unsettled  tracts  far  beyond  these  localities.  During  the  last 
autumn,  while  shooting  in  the  interior  of  Virginia,  in  company 
with  Andrew  Staley,  Esq.,  we  encountered  several  of  these  birds; 
but  they  were  in  such  straggling  parties  and  so  very  wild  that 
little  or  no  inducement  was  offered  to  hunt  them.  We  were  in- 
formed, however,  that  a  sportsman  in  that  district,  who  followed 
this  particular  kind  of  game  with  great  zeal  and  ardor,  had  killed 
some  twenty  or  more  during  the  previous  season;  but  even  this 
success,  we  are  well  assured,  was  only  accomplished  at  a  great 
expense  of  time,  patience,  and  real  labor.  Of  all  this,  however,  we 
need  not  speak,  as  the  sportsman,  no  doubt,  in  his  own  mind,  was 
richly  repaid  for  all  he  endured. 

In  the  wilder  portions  of  Tennessee,  Arkansas,  Louisiana,  Mis- 
sissippi, and  Alabama,  they  are  still  to  be  found  in  some  abundance, 
are  more  scarce  in  Georgia,  Florida,  and  the  Carolinas. 

We  are  greatly  indebted  to  our  esteemed  friend.  Doctor  R.  Percy 
Sargent,  who  resides  in  the  neighborhood  of  Natchez  and  devotes 
much  of  his  leisure  to  shooting  and  the  study  of  the  habits  of 
game-birds,  for  a  letter  containing  much  useful  as  well  as  practical 
information  regarding  the  wild  turkey.  From  this  article,  so 
kindly  furnished  us  by  the  doctor,  we  shall  in  the  course  of  this 
compilation  make  some  considerable  extracts,  as  well  as  from 
Audubon,  to  whom  we  owe  nea^y  all  our  knowledge  of  the  bird 
under  consideration ;  for  we  must  frankly  confess  that  our  own 
opportunities  of  studying  them  in  their  native  haunts  have  been 
very  limited. 

The  doctor  informs  us  that  wild  turkeys  are  still  met  with  in 
small  numbers  in  the  cypress-swamps,  thick  forests,  and  wild 
ridges  of  the  neighborhood  around  Natchez.  They  are,  of 
course,  very  wary,  cunning,  and  watchful  of  the  approach  of  man, 
and  are  only  to  be  killed  by  those  long  experienced  in  hunting 


THE    WILD    TURKEY.  131 

them  and  practically  familiar  with  their  habits  and  secret  haunts. 
Although  these  birds  in  the  settled  districts  occasionally  come  out 
into  the  open  meadows  and  frequent  the  grain-fields,  still,  they 
generally  secrete  themselves  in  the  depths  of  the  forests,  and  are 
seldom  to  be  approached  within  gunshot,  save  when  on  the  roost 
at  early  dawn  or  when  drawn  into  ambush  by  the  deceptive  call 
of  the  huntsman. 

INCUBATION. 

The  season  devoted  by  the  wild  turkey  to  propagation  and 
incubation  is  a  very  interesting  period  for  the  lover  of  natural 
history  to  study  the  habits  and  characteristics  of  this  truly  mag- 
nificent bird. 

These  promptings  of  nature  to  perpetuate  her  creations  are 
observed  in  the  turkey  as  early  as  the  month  of  March,  and,  if  the 
weather  be  favorable,  even  as  soon  as  the  middle  of  February. 
The  first  change  that  takes  place  in  its  ordinary  habits  that  seems 
to  mark  the  near  approach  of  this  sexual  desire  is  the  partial 
separation  of  the  females  from  the  males,  accompanied  by  the 
almost  incessant  gobbling  of  the  latter.  The  turkey,  like  others 
of  the  gallinaceous  order,  is  very  salacious,  and  does  not  by  any 
means  confine  his  attentions  to  one  hen,  but  oftentimes  becomes 
the  mate  and  protector  of  several,  and  is  ever  ready  to  give  battle 
at  the  slightest  token  of  intrusion  on  the  part  of  less  favored 
rivals. 

These  conflicts,  too,  are  often  contested  in  the  most  desperate 
manner,  insomuch  that  death  to  several  of  the  combatants  not 
unfrequently  results  from  a  general  engagement. 

Audubon  remarks  on  this  head: — "I  have  often  been  much  di- 
verted, while  watching  two  males  in  fierce  conflict,  by  seeing  them 
move  alternately  backwards  and  forwards,  as  either  had  obtained 
a  better  hold,  their  wings  drooping,  their  tails  partly  raised,  their 
body-feathers  rufiled,  and  their  heads  covered  with  blood.  If,  as 
they  thus  struggle  and  gasp  for  breath,  one  of  them  should  lose 
his  hold,  his  chance  is  over ;  for  the  other,  still  holding  fast,  hits 


132  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

him  violently  with  spurs  and  wings,  and  in  a  few  minutes  brings 
him  to  the  ground.  The  moment  he  is  dead,  the  conqueror  treads 
him  under  foot,  but,  what  is  strange,  not  with  hatred,  but  with  all 
the  motions  which  he  employs  in  caressing  the  female." 

The  period  of  sexual  intercourse  continues  for  several  weeks, 
when  the  female,  towards  the  middle  of  April,  begins  to  make 
arrangements  for  placing  her  eggs  in  security.  She  now  sees  far 
less  of  her  mate,  being  anxiously  occupied  in  securing  a  favorable 
site  for  the  nest,  which  is  formed  on  the  ground  in  a  very  slovenly 
and  artless  manner. 

A  dry  situation  is  always  selected  for  this  purpose,  most  gene- 
rally a  mere  hollow  scooped  out  in  the  ground  by  the  side  of  an 
old  stump,  moss-covered  log,  or  fallen  tree,  hidden  from  casual 
view  by  the  intervention  of  thick  and  tangled  bushes,  and  the  ap- 
proach protected  by  the  rank  growth  of  creeping  vines  and  matted 
briers. 

They  also  form  their  nests  occasionally  in  the  small  thickets  or 
briery  patches  of  the  open  fields,  (Dr.  Sargent  informs  us  that  such 
is  most  generally  the  case  about  his  neighborhood,)  as  well  as  within 
the  edge  of  the  canebrakes.  Audubon  states  "that  the  eggs, 
which  are  of  a  dull  cream-color  sprinkled  with  red  dots,  sometimes 
amount  to  twenty,  although  the  more  usual  number  is  from  ten  to 
fifteen." 

The  hen  is  very  cautious  when  approaching  her  nest,  so  much 
so  that  she  seldom  goes  to  it  more  than  once  by  the  same  route ; 
and  when  she  leaves  it,  for  the  purpose  of  feeding  or  seeking  the 
company  of  her  mate,  she  carefully  conceals  the  eggs  from  observa- 
tion by  covering  them  over  with  leaves. 

The  turkey-cock  does  not  assist  in  the  duties  of  incubation,  but, 
on  the  other  hand,  is  ever  eager  to  discover  the  nest  and  destroy 
the  eggs,  so  that  he  may  insure  for  himself  the  further  company 
of  the  hen.  This  latter  circumstance,  therefore,  is  one  of  the 
strongest  incentives  which  urges  the  anxious  mother  to  conceal  the 
locality  of  the  nest  from  her  jealous  and  treacherous  mate.  Seve- 
ral hens,  we  are  informed,  occasionally  deposit  their  eggs  in  the 


THE    WILD    TURKEY.  133 

same  nest  in  beautiful  harmony,  and,  being  thus  intimately  asso- 
ciated, pursue  their  maternal  duties  in  perfect  congeniality  and  in- 
creased security  from  the  attacks  of  wild  animals,  birds  of  prey,  or 
lurking  serpents.  Audubon  mentions  having  discovered  three  sit- 
ting on  forty-two  eggs. 

When  on  the  nest,  the  hen  is  noiseless  as  death  itself,  but 
watchful  as  her  keen  vision  and  acute  hearing  can  possibly 
make  her;  and  with  equal  sagacity,  though  trembling  with 
terror  for  the  safety  of  herself  and  eggs,  will  permit  the  uncon- 
scious intruder  to  pass  within  a  few  paces  of  her,  without  moving 
from  her  seat. 

When  the  full  period  of  incubation  is  drawing  to  a  close,  the 
hen  will  not  leave  the  nest  under  any  contingency ;  she  will  rather 
sacrifice  her  own  life  than  abandon  the  offspring  just  about  burst- 
ing into  existence.  Indeed,  so  resolute  is  she  in  her  nearly-accom- 
plished purpose  that,  Audubon  states,  she  will  even  allow  an  en- 
closure to  be  built  around  her,  rather  than  forsake  them  at  this 
critical  juncture ! 

How  marvellous,  how  powerful,  how  impressive  the  instinct 
which  thus  sways  the  actions  of  an  otherwise  timid,  cautious,  and 
wary  bird,  that  under  ordinary  circumstances  takes  alarm  at  the 
slightest  token  of  danger,  not  only  fleeing  the  presence  of  man,  but 
driven  into  precipitate  flight  at  the  very  sound  of  his  voice ! 

Wet  weather  and  low,  moist  grounds  are  very  detrimental  to  the 
well-being  of  the  young  turkeys ;  insomuch  that  an  inclement  spell, 
about  the  period  of  hatching,  is  very  destructive  to  the  tender 
brood.  The  hen  at  such  seasons,  doubly  solicitous  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  her  sensitive  offspring,  seeks  the  high,  dry  grounds,  and, 
further  to  ward  off  the  ill  effects  resulting  from  exposure  to  rain, 
Audubon  tells  us  that  she,  with  instinctive  ingenuity,  feeds  them 
upon  the  buds  of  the  spicewood-bush. 

The  young  continue  to  nestle  on  the  ground  for  two  or  three 
weeks ;  they  are  then  sufficiently  strong  to  take  to  the  low  limbs 
of  trees,  where  they  roost  under  the  wide-extended  wings  of  their 
ever-anxious  parent.     The  plumage  of  the  young  bird  grows  with 


134  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

considerable  vigor,  and  they  increase  in  size  and  strength  very 
rapidly,  provided  the  weather  continues  propitious. 

As  early  as  the  month  of  August,  the  young  turkeys  are  quite 
able  to  take  care  of  themselves  as  well  as  fly  to  the  tops  of  the 
highest  trees.  Our  author,  from  whom  we  have  already  quoted  so 
liberally,  informs  us  that  about  this  time  "  the  young  cocks  show 
the  tuft  on  the  breast,  and  begin  to  gobble  and  strut,  while  the 
young  hens  pur  and  leap." 

The  wild  turkey,  as  a  general  habit,  rears  but  one  brood  of  a 
season ;  but  if  she  forsakes  or  is  driven  from  the  nest,  or  the  eggs 
are  destroyed  by  some  one  of  her  numerous  enemies,  she  seeks  her 
mate  and  makes  preparations  for  another  setting. 

During  the  period  immediately  succeeding  that  devoted  to  sexual 
enjoyment,  "the  males  become  greatly  emaciated,  and  cease  to 
gobble,  their  breast-sponge  becoming  flat.  They  then  separate  from 
the  hens,  and  one  might  suppose  that  they  had  entirely  deserted 
their  neighbors.  At  such  seasons  I  have  found  them  lying  by  the 
side  of  a  log,  in  some  retired  part  of  the  dense  woods  and  cane- 
thickets,  and  often  permitting  one  to  approach  within  a  few  feet. 
They  are  then  unable  to  fly,  but  run  swiftly,  and  to  a  great  dis- 
tance." 

Several  weeks  elapse  before  the  gobblers  entirely  recover  their 
condition,  when  they  all  reassemble,  old  and  young,  males  and  fe- 
males, and  move  oflf  to  some  more  favored  feeding-ground. 

FOOD. 

The  wild  turkey  is  not  very  particular  in  the  choice  of  food ; 
but  little  comes  amiss.  They  partake  indiscriminately  of  all  the 
forest-fruits,  such  as  nuts  and  berries ;  also  consume  considerably 
of  grass,  herbs,  buds,  seeds,  &c.,  as  well  as  beetles,  grasshoppers, 
tadpoles,  worms,  and  even  lizards.  When  feeding  on.  the  plains, 
they  feast  on  strawberries,  dewberries,  blackberries,  and  all  similar 
productions. 

Audubon  states  that  they  are  particularly  partial  to  the  pecan- 
nut  and  winter  grape ;  they  also  eat  largely  of  the  fruit  of  the  oak 


THE    WILD    TURKEY. 


135 


and  beech,  as  well  as  of  all  kinds  of  grain,  when  to  be  obtained 
without  too  much  exposure. 

MIGRATIONS. 

The  turkey  is  principally  influenced  in  its  movements  after  the 
breeding-season  by  the  abundance  or  non-abundance  of  food. 
They  often  wander  in  enormous  droves,  at  certain  times,  over  a 
wide  extent  of  country  in  search  of  mast^  on  which  they  principally 
feed  during  the  late  autumn  and  winter  months.  When  they  en- 
counter a  river  during  these  peregrinations,  they  mount  the  loftiest 
trees  on  the  banks,  and  after  a  general  conference,  which  some- 
times, strange  to  say,  lasts  a  day  or  two,  the  whole  party,  at  a 
given  signal  from  the  leaders,  take  flight  and  reach  the  opposite 
shore  without  much  difficulty. 

Should  any,  however,  from  want  of  confidence  or  strength,  fail 
in  the  efibrt  and  fall  into  the  water,  they  swim  with  considerable 
dexterity,  and  soon  gain  the  land. 


THEIR  DOMESTICATION. 

The  wild  turkey  is  a  native  solely  of  the  New  World;  it  is  indi- 
genous to  the  wilds  of  America,  and  the  progenitor  of  the  domestic 
fowl  so  generally  distributed  over  the  whole  civilized  globe. 

It  is,  then,  to  the  forests  of  our  country  that  the  Old  World  is 


136  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

indebted  for  one  of  the  most  common,  but  at  the  same  time  one 
of  the  most  choice,  of  all  the  barnyard-fowls  that  have,  by  the  in- 
genuity of  man,  been  reclaimed  from  their  native  haunts  to  minister 
to  his  daily  wants. 

"  In  a  state  of  domestication,  the  wild  turkeys,  though  kept  sepa- 
rate from  tame  individuals,  lose  the  brilliancy  of  their  plumage  in 
the  third  generation,  becoming  plain  brown,  and  having  here  and 
there  white  feathers  intermixed." 

Wild  turkeys  often,  when  opportunities  offer,  associate  with  tame 
ones,  and  with  great  advantage  to  the  latter,  as  it  improves  the 
stock,  making  them  more  hardy,  and  consequently  less  dijQ5cult  to 
raise. 

It  is  a  subject  of  somewhat  curious  interest  to  examine  the 
various  notions  or  theories  that  have  been  broached  by  different 
writers,  by  way  of  explaining  in  a  satisfactory  manner  how  this 
fowl,  entirely  indigenous  to  the  Western  Hemisphere,  should  have 
received  the  appellation  of  Turkey;  for  this  name  would  very 
naturally  seem  to  imply  that  the  bird  was  a  native  of  the  East, 
rather  than  of  the  New  World. 

This  seeming  paradox  may,  however,  be  reconciled  by  a  refer- 
ence to  the  history  of  the  period  of  its  introduction  into  England. 
The  Turks  were  then  in  their  zenith  of  glory,  or,  rather,  were  in 
their  most  lawless  state  of  rapine  and  plunder ;  insomuch  that  the 
whole  nation  was  dreaded  as  well  as  despised  throughout  all  Chris- 
tendom. 

Their  ships,  almost  unmolested,  swept  the  waters  of  the  Medi- 
terranean, while  their  fleet  galleys  laid  waste  the  sunny  shores  of 
Italia,  as  well  as  carried  devastation  along  the  coasts  of  Hispania 
and  the  adjacent  countries.  As  a  nation,  they  were  nothing  more 
than  a  horde  of  barbarians,  a  band  of  pirates,  leagued  together  for 
the  purpose  of  carnage  and  pillage ;  their  very  name  a  byword  to 
all  the  more  civilized  people  of  the  Old  World, — a  token  of  con- 
tempt, a  symbol  of  cruelty,  cowardice,  and  oppression.  Such  was 
the  period  of  the  advent  of  this  bird  in  England ;  and,  coming  as  a 
stranger  from  distant  parts,  no  one  knew  or  cared  whence,  they 


THE    WILD    TURKEY.  137 

were  regarded  as  fancy  fowls  alone.  Most  probably  their  intro- 
duction was  through  the  medium  of  some  of  the  British  cruisers 
from  the  coast  of  Spain,  where,  no  doubt,  many  of  the  birds  had 
already  been  brought  from  the  newly-acquired  Spanish  possessions 
in  the  New  World,  and  dubbed  Turkey,  or  Turkey-Bird,  in  a 
spirit,  perhaps,  of  irony  or  contempt  for  its  irascible  and  pugna- 
cious disposition,  as  evinced  in  its  blustering  attitudes,  unmeaning 
struttings,  and  senseless  gobblings.  And  this  title  seemed  the  still 
more  appropriate  for  the  pompous  stranger,  owing  to  the  pectoral 
appendage  resembling  so  much  the  huge  tufts  of  beard  which  the 
Turks  were  so  remarkable  for  cultivating. 

The  singular  misnomer  of  this  fowl  seems  conclusive  evidence 
that  the  bird  was  not  brought  to  England  direct  from  America; 
and,  whether  there  be  any  truth  or  not  in  the  above  conjecture, 
there  is  certainly  much  plausibility  in  the  deductions.  However, 
let  all  this  be  as  it  may,  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that,  about  the 
period  of  its  introduction  into  England,  during  the  reign  of  that 
monster  Henry  VIII.,  the  British  merchants  carried  on  a  consider- 
able traffic  throughout  the  Mediterranean,  and  even  extended  their 
voyages  as  far  as  Smyrna  on  the  one  side  and  Constantinople  on 
the  other;  and  it  is  not  improbable  that  their  vessels,  on  their 
return  voyages,  stopping  for  trading  purposes  at  the  different 
Spanish  ports,  may  have  brought  home,  as  mere  fancy  fowls,  some 
of  these  birds  lately  arrived  from  the  Western  World. 

And  thus  alone,  from  the  mere  circumstance  of  arriving  in  Eng- 
land through  the  medium  of  these  same  Turkish  traders,  ignorant, 
perhaps,  themselves  of  the  true  history  of  the  fowl,  it  was  very 
naturally  presumed  by  the  uninitiated  to  have  been  brought  from 
the  most  remote  region  that  the  vessels  visited,  which  was  Constan- 
tinople, and  consequently  received  the  cognomen  of  Turkey  or 
Turkey-Bird,  without  any  particular  allusion  to  the  peculiar  condi- 
tion of  the  Turks  at  this  period. 

With  the  exception  of  the  hen  and  goose,  the  turkey  is  by  far 
the  most  valuable  addition  which  has  been  made  to  our.  domestic 
fowls ;  and  it  is  somewhat  strange  that  the  history  of  its  trans- 


138  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

plantation  across  the  waters  should  have  become  involved  in  so 
much  obscurity  that  more  than  one  eminent  author  has  striven  to 
establish  an  Asiatic  or  African  origin  for  it. 

But  such  efforts  at  imposition  could  not  long  stand  before  the 
ever-ready  pen  of  the  closely-investigating  Buffon,  who  soon,  by 
a  few  researches,  cleared  away  the  mist  by  which  these  specious 
writers  had  enveloped  the  early  history  of  the  bird,  and  proclaimed 
it  a  fowl  indigenous  to  the  wilds  of  America  alone. 

Prescott,  in  his  Conquest  of  Mexico,  makes  frequent  mention  of 
the  turkey,  not  only  in  its  wild  state,  but  as  domesticated  among 
the  Aztecs ;  in  fact,  it  was  more  common  than  any  other  kind  of 
poultry  among  this  strange  people.  And  as  a  proof  of  this  asser- 
tion we  need  only  state  that,  along  with  other  items  enumerated 
in  a  list  of  yearly  household  expenditures  of  the  Tezcucan  monarch, 
was  an  almost  incredible  number  of  turkeys,  being  no  less  than 
eight  thousand. 

THEIR  FLESH. 

The  flesh  of  the  wild  turkey  assimilates  very  closely  to  that  of 
the  tame  fowl,  but  is  darker,  more  juicy,  and,  of  course,  has  more 
of  a  game  flavor. 

TRAPPING  TURKEYS. 

In  parts  of  the  country  where  these  birds  are  numerous,  the 
most  effectual  mode  to  procure  a  supply  is  to  catch  them  in  traps, 
or  rather  pens. 

Audubon  states  that  tney  are  constructed  thus: — "Young  trees 
of  four  or  five  inches  in  diameter  are  cut  down  and  divided  into 
pieces  of  the  length  of  twelve  or  fourteen  feet.  Two  of  these  are 
laid  on  the  ground,  parallel  to  each  other,  at  a  distance  of  ten  or 
twelve  feet.  Two  other  pieces  are  laid  across  the  ends  of  these,  at 
right  angles  to  them;  and  in  this  manner  successive  layers  are 
added,  until  the  fabric  is  raised  to  the  height  of  four  feet.  It  is 
then  covered  with  similar  pieces  of  wood,  placed  three  or  four 
inches  apart,  and  loaded  with  one  or  two  heavy  logs  to  render  the 


THE    WILD    TURKEY.  139 

whole  firm.  This  done,  a  trench,  about  eighteen  inches  in  depth 
and  width,  is  cut  under  one  side  of  the  cage,  into  which  it  opens 
slantingly  and  rather  abruptly.  It  is  continued  on  its  outside  to 
some  distance,  so  as  gradually  to  attain  the  level  of  the  surround- 
ing ground.  Over  the  part  of  this  trench  within  the  pen,  and 
close  to  the  wall,  some  sticks  are  placed  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of 
bridge  about  a  foot  in  breadth. 

"  The  trap  being  now  finished,  the  owner  places  a  quantity  of 
Indian  corn  in  its  centre,  as  well  as  in  the  trench,  and,  as  he  walks 
off,  drops  here  and  there  a  few  grains  in  the  woods,  sometimes  to 
the  distance  of  a  mile.  This  is  repeated  at  every  visit  to  the  trap 
after  the  turkeys  have  found  it.  Sometimes  two  trenches  are  cut, 
in  which  case  the  trenches  enter  on  opposite  sides  of  the  trap,  and 
are  both  strewn  with  corn.  No  sooner  has  a  turkey  discovered 
the  train  of  corn,  than  it  communicates  the  circumstance  to  the 
flock  by  a  cluck,  when  all  of  them  come  up,  and  searching  for  the 
grains  scattered  about,  at  length  come  upon  the  trench,  which  they 
follow,  squeezing  themselves,  one  after  another,  through  the  pas- 
sage under  the  bridge.  In  this  manner  the  whole  flock  sometimes 
enters,  but  more  commonly  six  or  seven  only,  as  they  are  alarmed 
by  the  least  noise,  even  the  cracking  of  a  tree  in  frosty  weather. 

"  Those  within,  having  gorged  themselves,  raise  their  heads,  and 
try  to  force  their  way  through  the  top  or  sides  of  the  pen,  passing 
and  repassing  on  the  bridge,  but  never,  for  a  moment,  looking 
down,  or  attempting  to  escape  through  the  passage  by  which  they 
enter.  Thus  they  remain  until  the  owner  of  the  trap,  arriving, 
closes  the  trench  and  secures  his  captives.  Dr.  Sargent  informs 
us  that  it  is  usual,  in  his  part  of  the  country,  to  make  these  pens 
in  the  corners  of  the  worm  fences." 

SHOOTING  TURKEYS. 

Various  plans  are  resorted  to  by  huntsmen  to  kill  turkeys,  de- 
pendent in  a  great  measure  upon  the  particular  locality  shot  over. 

If  the  country  be  new  and  wild,  and  the  birds  abundant,  as  well 
as  seldom  pursued,  much  less  stratagem  is  necessary  to  approach 


140  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

them  than  if  the  region  is  thickly  settled  and  the  turkeys  pro- 
portionately scarce  and  wary  from  previous  hunting ;  for  in  this 
case  it  requires  much  labor,  skill,  and  cunning,  to  entice  them 
within  gun  or  rifle-shot, 

A  good  turkey-dog  is  of  great  consequence,  Audubon  remarks, 
in  the  pursuit  of  these  birds,  as  they  not  only  scent  the  game  from 
a  great  distance,  but,  when  up  with  it,  perform  the  most  essential 
service  in  running  into  their  midst  and  forcing  them  to  take  flight 
to  the  trees  in  the  utmost  confusion,  thus  procuring  for  the  sports- 
man the  most  desirable  shots. 

If  the  turkeys  were  not  thus  scattered  by  the  dog  and  made  to 
take  to  the  trees  in  disorder  and  terror,  they  would  all  make  off  in 
a  body  with  such  suddenness  and  precipitancy  that  it  would  be 
impossible  for  the  sportsman  to  come  up  with  them. 

The  wild  turkey  runs  with  amazing  celerity,  vigor,  and  bottom, 
insomuch  that  they  soon  outstrip  both  dog  and  rider ;  even  when 
badly  winged,  it  requires  a  swift  dog  to  overtake  them. 

Turkeys  are  easily  killed  if  shot  in  the  head  or  neck ;  when  hit 
only  in  the  body  they  most  frequently  make  off  and  are  lost  to 
the  hunter. 

It  is  a  common  practice  in  some  localities  to  shoot  these  birds 
on  their  roost  on  moonlight  nights,  when  they  can  be  distinguished 
quite  easily  on  the  trees. 

Dr.  Sargent  states  "  that  wild  turkeys  commence  gobbling  a 
little  before  the  break  of  day,  and  continue  on  their  roosts  until 
broad  daylight;  during  this  interim,  the  hunter  can  cautiously 
glide  within  shooting-distance  of  the  tree  upon  which  they  are 
perched,  and,  silently  and  patiently  awaiting  till  the  dawn  has 
broken,  secure  his  game  without  further  trouble.  This  march 
upon  our  victims,  however,  must  be  accomplished  in  the  most 
stealthy  manner ;  otherwise,  the  wary  gobbler  will  be  alarmed,  and 
seek  safety  in  the  most  inglorious  flight."  If  such  should  be  the 
case,  the  doctor  further  remarks  that  the  sportsman  must  now 
remain  perfectly  calm  and  quiet  for  twenty  minutes  or  so,  and 
then,  perhaps,  by  a  few  well-timed  yelps,  may  be  able  to  draw  the 


THE    WILD    TURKEY.  14X 

wary  but  still  amorous  swain  within  the  deadly  ambush.  Another 
artifice  has  also  been  resorted  to  by  the  doctor,  to  secure  this  wary 
bird,  by  placing  a  tame  turkey  in  a  suitable  position,  with  a  long 
cord  attached  to  his  leg,  by  pulling  which  the  uneasy  captive  is 
made  to  cluck  from  time  to  time,  so  as  to  attract  the  notice  of  any 
wild  ones  that  are  known  to  be  concealed  or  feeding  in  the  imme- 
diate vicinity ;  for  a  gobbler,  on  hearing  this  call  or  cry  of  another, 
instantly  rushes  forward  to  meet  him,  and  is  thus  easily  shot 
down. 

ENEMIES. 

The  wild  turkey  is  pursued,  harassed,  and  preyed  upon,  by  quad- 
rupeds innumerable,  as  well  as  by  the  larger  species  of  birds  of 
prey.  The  wolf,  fox,  lynx,  cougar,  opossum,  and  wild  cat,  all  prowl 
about,  destroying  their  nests  as  well  as  their  tender  offspring,  or, 
lying  in  wait,  pounce  upon  the  full-grown  birds  as  their  lawful 
prey. 

Audubon  remarks,  on  this  head,  that  "the  lynx  sucks  their 
eggs,  and  is  extremely  expert  at  seizing  both  young  and  old, 
which  he  effects  in  the  following  manner: — When  he  has  dis- 
covered a  flock  of  turkeys,  he  follows  them  at  a  distance  for  some 
time,  until  he  ascertains  the  direction  in  which  they  are  proceed- 
ing. He  then  makes  a  rapid  circular  movement,  gets  in  advance 
of  the  flock,  and  lays  himself  down  in  ambush  until  the  birds 
come  up,  when  he  springs  upon  one  of  them  by  a  single  bound 
and  secures  it.  While  once  sitting  in  the  woods,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Wabash,  I  observed  two  large  turkey-cocks  on  a  log  by  the 
river,  pluming  and  picking  themselves.  I  watched  their  move- 
ments for  a  while,  when,  of  a  sudden,  one  of  them  flew  across  the 
river,  while  I  perceived  the  other  struggling  under  the  grasp  of  a 
lynx." 

The  larger  species  of  owls,  as  well  as  hawks,  are  said  to  attack 
and  destroy  the  full-grown  birds  as  well  as  those  of  a  more  tender 
age. 

The  lurking  and  noisome  serpent  also  plunders  the  nest,  and 
secures  the  helpless  brood  when  first  merged  into  existence. 


142 


LEWIS  S    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 


MEMORANDA. 

1.  Turkeys  were  formerly  very  abundant  throughout  the  whole 
continent  of  North  America. 

2.  The  gobbler  does  not  confine  his  attentions  to  one  hen,  but 
oftentimes  has  several  under  his  protection. 

3.  The  hen  sits  very  close,  and  endeavors  to  conceal  the  nest 
from  the  cock  bird. 

4.  The  young  brood  is  sufficiently  strong  to  take  to  the  trees 
in  the  course  of  two  or  three  weeks  after  hatching. 

5.  Wild  turkeys  are  not  very  particular  as  to  the  choice  of  food : 
they  partake  indiscriminately  of  all  the  field  and  forest-fruits,  as 
well  as  the  various  descriptions  of  insects  and  small  animals  which 
they  encounter. 

6.  At  certain  seasons  turkeys  wander  over  a  wide  extent  of 
country  in  enormous  droves. 

7.  The  turkey  is  solely  a  native  of  the  New  World,  and  the  pro- 
genitor of  the  domestic  fowl. 

8.  Most  probably  introduced  into  England  through  the  medium 
of  Spain. 

9.  The  turkey  has  almost  entirely  disappeared  from  the  Atlan- 
tic seaboard  States. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE   RUFFED   GROUSE,  OR   PHEASANT.      TETRAO   UMBELLUS. 

"  Two  whirring  pheasants  swept  across  our  path, 
And  swift  as  lightning  flew  the  fiery  death." 


THEIR   LOCALITY. 

N  almost  every  section  of  our  country, 
from  the  northernmost  latitudes  even  as 
far  south  as  Georgia,  ruffed  grouse  are 
to  be  met  with.  At  times  they  are  very 
abundant  in  the  pines  of  Jersey,  as  well 
as  the  mountainous  ranges  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  Columbia  Rivers. 

Numbers  of  grouse  were  formerly 
found  in  the  higher  elevations  of  the 
barrens  of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee;  and  some  remain  there 
even  at  the  present  time,  although  far  less  abundant  than  they 

were  a  few  years  since.      This  particular  section  of  country  afforded 

143 


144  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

fine  protection  and  plenty  of  agreeable  food  for  these  birds,  and 
the  regular  temperature  of  the  climate  was  at  all  times  such  as 
was  most  congenial  to  their  habits. 

NOMENCLATURE. 

The  ruffed  grouse  derives  its  name  from  the  peculiar  construc- 
tion of  the  plumage  on  the  neck, — "a  large  space  being  left  desti- 
tute of  feathers,  but  covered  over  by  an  erectile  ruff  of  elongated 
feathers,  of  which  the  upper  are  silky,  shining,  and  curved  forward 
at  the  end,  which  is  very  broad  and  rounded." 

Like  most  others  of  our  game-birds,  the  ruffed  grouse  has  several 
local  appellations:  it  is  called  partridge  in  the  Eastern  States, 
pheasant  in  the  Middle,  and  grouse  in  the  Western.  So  general  is 
it  with  us  all  to  call  this  bird  pheasant  in  Pennsylvania,  and  by  no 
other  name,  that  it  really  would  appear  like  a  piece  of  pedantry 
to  give  it  its  proper  appellation  of  grouse;  in  fact,  most  of  our 
shooters  would  not  recognise  the  bird  at  all  by  this  name. 

DESCRIPTION. 

The  pheasant  is  eighteen  inches  long  and  twenty-three  in  ex- 
tent ;  bill  a  horn-color ;  eye  reddish-hazel,  immediately  above  which 
is  a  small  spot  of  bare  skin  of  a  scarlet  color ;  crested  head,  and 
neck  variegated  with  black,  red,  brown,  white,  and  pale  brown; 
sides  of  the  neck  furnished  with  a  tuft  of  large  black  feathers, 
twenty-nine  or  thirty  in  number,  which  it  occasionally  raises ;  this 
tuft  covers  a  large  space  of  the  neck  destitute  of  feathers ;  body 
above,  a  bright  rust-color,  marked  with  oval  spots  of  yellowish- 
white,  and  sprinkled  with  white  spotted  with  olive;  the  tail  is 
rounding,  extends  five  inches  beyond  the  tips  of  the  wings,  is  of  a 
reddish-brown,  beautifully  marked  with  numerous  waving  trans- 
verse hairs  of  black,  is  also  crossed  by  a  broad  band  of  black, 
within  half  an  inch  of  the  tip,  which  is  bluish-white,  thickly 
sprinkled  and  speckled  with  black;  body  below,  white,  marked 
with  large  blotches  of  pale  brown ;  the  legs  are  covered  half-way 
to  the  feet  with  hairy  down  of  a  brownish-white  color ;  legs  and 


THE      PHEASANT.  145 

feet  pale  ash;  toes  pectinated  along  the  sides,  the  two  exterior 
ones  joined  at  the  base  as  far  as  the  first  joint  by  a  membrane; 
vent  yellowish  rust-color.  The  plumage  of  the  female  is  less  beau- 
tiful, the  rufi"  smaller  and  more  of  a  brownish  color;  the  bar  of 
black  on  the  tail  is  also  of  a  lighter  color,  and  the  plumage  gene- 
rally of  a  lighter  shade. 

Many  persons  confound  the  ruffed  grouse  with  the  prairie-hen ; 
but  this  is  quite  wrong,  as  there  is  a  striking  difference  between 
the  two  birds,  not  only  in  their  plumage,  but  also  in  their  modes 
of  life.  The  former  variety,  it  is  well  known  to  every  one  at  all 
familiar  with  its  habits,  delights  in  the  mountainous  districts  of 
our  country,  and  is  particularly  partial  to  craggy  sides  of  the  hills, 
and  the  steep,  rocky,  and  almost  inaccessible  banks  of  rivers  or 
small  streams ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  prairie-grouse  feeds 
entirely  upon  the  open  plains  and  clear  countries  of  the  West,  and 
never,  except  when  disturbed  by  the  huntsman,  forsakes  these 
situations  for  the  woods. 

THEIR   GRADUAL  EXTINCTION. 

The  ruffed  grouse,  as  well  as  the  pinnated,  is  fast  retiring  from 
before  the  destructive  hand  of  the  whites;  for,  notwithstanding 
the  broods  of  the  former  are  so  very  prolific  and  their  haunts  so 
retired,  the  demand  for  them  in  our  cities  increases  so  fast  that 
every  encouragement  is  offered  to  the  ruthless  netters  and  trappers 
who  are  ever  at  work  thinning  their  numbers,  in  season  or  out  of 
season,  as  may  best  suit  their  convenience  or  the  pampered  palates 
of  their  guilty  customers.  There  are,  however,  considerable  num- 
bers of  grouse  in  some  portions  of  New  Jersey,  and  many  more  in 
Pennsylvania  and  New  York ;  but  every  season  sends  forth  a  myriad 
of  gunners  to  shoot  them  down,  while  the  deep  snows  of  our  long 
winters  drive  them,  half-famished,  into  the  fatal  traps  and  snares 
that  are  so  thickly  scattered  over  their  haunts.  We  need  hardly 
speak  at  this  particular  time  of  the  unsportsmanlike  and  barbarous 
custom  of  shooting  game  out  of  season,  or  offer  any  comment  upon 
the  subject,  as  we  have  already  said  much  thereon  under  another 

10 


146  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

head,  and,  we  trust,  quite  enough  to  induce  every  sensible  man  to 
discountenance  such  proceedings  as  far  as  lies  in  his  power,  whether 
he  be  a  sportsman  or  not ;  for,  unless  some  attention  is  given  to 
this  matter  by  the  people  generally,  we  may  soon  expect  to  find 
our  whole  Atlantic  seaboard  entirely  destitute  of  game  of  every 
description. 

INCUBATION. 

The  pheasant  begins  pairing  in  March  and  April,  and  the  nest 
is  finished  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  weeks.  The  most  solitary 
situations  are  selected  for  incubation,  and  the  nest  itself  is  formed 
even  more  rudely  than  that  of  the  partridge,  but  of  pretty  much 
the  same  material,  and  generally  at  the  base  of  a  small  bush,  tree, 
or  old  stump.  The  hen  generally  drops  from  five  to  twelve  eggs, 
of  a  dull-yellowish  color,  without  spots,  and  nearly  the  size  of  those 
of  a  Polish  chicken.  The  nest,  notwithstanding  the  secrecy  of  its 
situation,  is  often  plundered,  during  the  absence  of  the  hen,  by  the 
crow,  raven,  and  other  cruel  enemies,  that  are  constantly  on  the 
watch  to  seize  upon  such  delicacies  as  it  contains.  In  this  case 
the  hen  is  very  apt  to  court  again  the  society  of  the  cock  birds, 
form  a  new  nest,  and  go  to  laying  a  second  time ;  which  fact,  as 
in  the  partridge,  has  given  rise  to  the  idea  of  two  broods  in  a 
season.  The  young  leave  the  nest  almost  as  soon  as  hatched,  and 
follow  the  mother  in  quest  of  food ;  if  surprised  during  these  per- 
ambulations, they  skulk  in  the  grass  as  young  partridges  do,  while 
the  hen  resorts  to  the  same  artifices  to  allure  the  sportsman  away 
from  the  vicinity  of  her  tender  offspring.  Wilson  mentions  that 
on  one  occasion,  having  accidentally  come  upon  a  hen  pheasant  in 
company  with  her  brood,  she  flew  up,  evidently  much  alarmed, 
fluttered  for  a  few  moments  before  him,  and  then  darted  down  and 
seized  one  of  the  young  in  her  bill  and  bore  it  off"  to  a  place  of 
safety,  leaving  him,  of  course,  greatly  surprised  at  the  extra- 
ordinary incident. 

The  young  birds  are  sufficiently  strong  and  well  grown  to  fly  a 
short  distance  in  the  course  of  a  very  few  days.     The  cock  birds 


THE    PHEASANT.  147 

do  not  assist  their  mates  in  the  care  of  the  broods,  but  associate 
themselves  together  in  small  bands  till  the  autumn,  or  rather  the 
commencement  of  cold  weather,  when  they  all  again  mingle  indis- 
criminately together,  young  and  old. 

DRUMMING. 

Early  in  the  spring,  the  forests  resound  far  and  wide,  in  certain 
portions  of  our  country,  with  the  drumming  of  the  cock  pheasant, 
who  adopts  this  rather  singular  method  of  calling  the  hen  into  his 
presence;  in  fact,  the  making  of  this  peculiar  noise  is  the  only 
sure  plan  that  he  has  of  wooing  his  mate  from  her  close  retreat 
during  the  period  of  incubation.  This  operation  is  a  very  singular 
manoeuvre,  and  we  know  not  better  how  to  explain  it  to  our  readers 
than  in  the  words  of  Audubon : — 

"  The  male  bird,  standing  erect  on  a  prostrate  decayed  trunk, 
raises  the  feathers  of  its  body  in  the  manner  of  a  turkey-cock, 
draws  its  head  towards  its  tail,  erecting  the  feathers  of  the  latter 
at  the  same  time,  and,  raising  its  ruff  around  the  neck,  suffers  its 
wings  to  drop,  and  struts  about  on  the  log.  A  few  moments  elapse, 
when  the  bird  draws  the  whole  of  its  feathers  close  to  its  body, 
and,  stretching  itself  out,  beats  its  sides  with  its  wings  in  the  man- 
ner of  the  domestic  cock,  but  more  loudly,  and  with  such  rapidity 
of  motion,  after  a  few  of  the  first  strokes,  as  to  cause  a  tremor  in 
the  air  not  unlike  the  rumbling  of  distant  thunder." 

This  rumbling  sound  is  called  the  drumming  of  the  pheasant, 
and  in  clear  weather  may  be  heard  a  long  distance  off.  The  cock 
resorts  to  the  same  spot,  if  undisturbed,  during  the  whole  breeding 
season,  for  the  purpose  of  performing  these  singular  manoeuvres, 
as  may  very  easily  be  proved  by  the  large  deposits  of  excrement  and 
feathers  that  are  always  found  in  places  suitable  for  this  purpose. 

During  the  pairing  season,  fierce  battles  often  take  place  be- 
tween the  males  for  the  possession  of  the  females.  The  cocks  are 
not  confined  entirely  in  their  attentions  to  one  mate,  but  often 
have  several  hens  under  their  protection. 


148  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

MIGRATIONS. 

Like  the  partridge  and  wild  turkey,  pheasants  are  said  to  per- 
form partial  migrations,  from  northwest  to  southeast,  at  the  ap- 
proach of  winter ;  but  their  excursions  are  neither  so  general  nor 
extensive  as  those  of  the  partridge.  Pheasants  fly  with  great  ease, 
and  do  not  hesitate  to  cross  the  widest  rivers  that  obstruct  their 
way  during  the  season  of  migration.  Audubon,  speaking  of  these 
migrations,  remarks  that  "no  one  who  pays  the  least  attention  to 
the  manners  and  habits  of  our  birds  can  fail  to  observe  them." 


FLIGHT. 

This  bird,  like  most  others  of  the  gallinaceous  order,  when  dis- 
turbed, flies  with  a  loud  whirring  noise,  even  louder  and  more 
startling  than  that  made  by  the  springing  of  a  large  covey  of 
partridges.  They  usually  fly  away  in  a  direct  line,  and  seldom  or 
never  either  cross  the  shooter  or  fly  behind  him. 

When  not  put  to  flight  from  fear  or  any  other  exciting  cause, 
they  move  off  slowly  and  rather  stiffly,  flapping  their  wings  for 
a  few  seconds,  and  then  sailing  ahead.  They  seldom  go  farther 
than  a  few  hundred  yards  at  a  time.  Audubon  does  not  think 
that  any  of  the  gallinaceous  tribe,  when  moving  through  the  air 
perfectly  free  from  excitement,  necessarily  make  a  whirring  sound ; 
but,  on  the  contrary,  supposes  the  noise  is  produced  by  the  unusual 
rapidity  in  the  motion  of  the  wings,  owing  to  the  over-anxiety  of 
the  bird  to  escape  the  suspected  danger.  He  also  states  that  he 
has  observed  pheasants,  as  well  as  partridges,  rise  and  fly  off  of 


THE    PHEASANT.  149 

their  own  free  will  without  making  the  least  noise,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  moving  as  lightly  and  silently  as  other  birds. 

HABITS. 

The  ruffed  grouse,  as  before  stated,  is  a  very  solitary  bird,  com- 
monly found  in  small  packs  of  four  to  eight,  in  sections  of  the 
country  where  they  are  not  too  much  hunted.  If  frequently  dis- 
turbed, it  is  rare  to  find  more  than  a  single  pair  together.  They 
delight  in  high,  elevated  districts,  and  love  to  roam  about  in  dense 
and  secluded  forests,  watered  by  some  large  stream,  upon  the 
precipitate  banks  of  which  they  can  repose  in  silence  or  wander 
about  in  search  of  food.  At  a  very  early  hour  in  the  mornincr 
they  usually  leave  their  secluded  haunts  and  repair  to  the  roads 
that  traverse  the  forests,  where  they  busy  themselves  in  picking 
up  gravel  and  scratching  for  grain  in  the  droppings  of  horses. 
Ruffed  grouse  are  also  particularly  partial  to  most  kinds  of  seeds, 
berries,  and  grapes,  and  are  always  in  good  condition  when  they 
can  procure  a  supply  of  wild  strawberries,  dewberries,  and  whortle- 
berries, and  will  not  hesitate  to  roam  long  distances  from  their 
retreats  in  search  of  these  delicacies  when  in  season.  In  the 
spring,  grouse  feed  on  the  tender  buds  of  various  trees,  and  are 
perhaps  less  wild  then  than  at  any  other  period  of  the  year,  but 
they  are  generally  very  poor  and  tasteless.  In  the  winter  season, 
grouse,  as  well  as  partridges,  are  driven  to  great  extremes  for 
food,  and  when  the  snow  is  very  deep  they  depend  almost  entirely 
for  sustenance  on  the  buds  and  leaves  of  the  mountain-laurel, 
(kalmia  latifolia,)  which  food  is  said  to  poison  their  flesh  so  much 
that  it  is  dangerous  to  partake  of  them. 

We  have  already  spoken  of  this  circumstance  when  treating  of 
the  partridge,  and  avail  ourselves  of  this  opportunity  to  say  that 
we  are  very  sceptical  on  this  head,  and  doubt  very  much  whether  a 
fresh-killed  pheasant  could  possibly  poison  any  one  partaking  of  it, 
no  matter  how  long  the  bird  had  been  forced  to  feed  upon  portions  of 
the  shrub.  We  are  disposed  to  attribute  these  instances  of  poisoning 
referred  to  by  writers  to  other  circumstances  than  the  mere  living 


150  lewis's   amekican   sportsman. 

on  this  evergreen,  and  would  rather  consider  them  as  the  conse- 
quence of  indulging  in  these  birds  when  half  putrid  from  age,  or 
even  when  preserved  perfectly  sweet  for  a  long  while  after  death, 
with  the  craws  stuffed  full  of  this  plant,  which  might  possibly 
render  the  flesh  poisonous  by  the  absorption  or  impregnation  of 
its  noxious  juices.  Such,  in  fact,  is  the  opinion  of  most  of  the 
ornithologists  who  have  given  the  subject  their  attention.  As  for 
ourself,  we  would  not,  and  never  did,  hesitate  to  feast  upon  phea- 
sants at  all  seasonable  times,  and  often  with  a  full  knowledge  of 
their  craws  being  stuffed  with  the  leaves  of  laurel,  provided  we 
were  satisfied  that  the  birds  had  been  lately  killed  or  that  they 
had  been  drawn  soon  after  being  shot. 

The  pheasant  roosts  on  the  ground  in  the  thickets,  or  by  the 
side  of  a  tree,  old  log,  or  stump,  and  not  unfrequently,  as  the  par- 
tridge, makes  a  short  flight  previous  to  settling  down  for  the  night. 

ENEMIES. 

The  pheasant,  as  well  as  the  partridge,  has  many  enemies  in- 
dependent of  man.  Polecats,  weasels,  raccoons,  opossums,  foxes, 
crows,  &c.,  all  prey,  when  an  opportunity  offers,  either  upon  the 
eggs  or  the  young  birds.  The  weasel  attacks  the  old  birds  on 
their  roosts,  and  the  fox  does  not  hesitate  to  pounce  upon  them 
when  feeding.  The  larger  species  of  hawks  also  destroy  them ; 
and  none  are  more  fatal  in  their  attacks  upon  all  kinds  of  birds 
than  the  red-tailed  and  Stanley  hawks. 

DELICACY   OF  THEIR   MEAT. 

The  flesh  of  the  ruffed  grouse  is  white,  and  is  considered  far 
more  delicate  and  juicy  than  that  of  the  prairie-hen,  which  is  dark. 
We  most  cheerfully  subscribe  to  this  opinion,  and  doubt  very  much 
whether  we  have  any  game-bird  superior  to  the  ruffed  grouse  in 
point  of  excellency  of  flavor.  Some  of  our  readers,  perhaps,  will 
differ  from  us  in  this  assertion.  However,  we  assure  them  that  we 
could  make  many  converts  to  our  opinion,  provided  they  were 
willing  to  act  on  our  hints  for  cooking  them,  as  detailed  under 


THE    PHEASANT.  151 

another  head.  Much  depends  upon  the  science  of  the  cook  for 
the  delicacy  of  all  game ;  but  in  no  kind  of  game  is  the  superiority 
of  cooking  shown  more  than  in  the  serving  up  of  pheasants,  which 
may  be  rendered  as  tough  and  dry  as  a  chip  or  as  delicate  and 
juicy  as  a  reed-bird.  It  is  no  unusual  thing  to  receive  English 
game  on  this  side  of  the  water  during  the  winter  months  in  perfect 
condition.  A  few  days  since  we  dined*  off  both  English  pheasants 
and  grouse,  brought  out  by  one  of  our  steamers;  both  were  in 
excellent  order.  The  meat  of  the  English  pheasant  is  white  and 
the  flavor  very  similar  to  that  of  our  bird, — ^more  juicy,  perhaps ;  but 
we  could  not,  or,  it  may  be,  would  not  have  perceived  any  difference 
in  the  flavor,  had  we  not  been  previously  informed  that  they 
were  English  birds.  They  are  larger  than  the  American  species. 
The  grouse  were  larger  than  our  prairie-hen,  the  tetrao  cupido, 
and  the  meat  dark  and  very  juicy. 

MODES   OP   SHOOTING. 

Several  plans  are  resorted  to  for  obtaining  a  supply  of  pheasants 
for  the  markets  of  Philadelphia  and  New  York.  Many  are  caught 
in  nets  and  nooses,  others  in  traps,  and  numbers  are  shot  down 
by  being  decoyed  into  ambuscades  by  trails  of  grain  laid  on 
the  snow.  These  birds  are  extremely  wary,  except  when  pushed 
by  the  cravings  of  hunger,  when  they  become  more  bold  and  ven- 
turesome. In  districts  where  they  are  hunted  after,  it  requires 
great  caution  and  perseverance  on  the  part  of  a  shooter  to  bag 
them.  When  suddenly  come  upon,  they  often  squat  and  lie 
close  till  you  have  passed  by,  when  they  spring  up  and  make  off 
at  a  tremendous  speed.  They  generally  take  to  the  thickest 
cripples,  or  perch  themselves  in  the  highest  forest-trees,  so  buried 
in  the  foliage  that  it  is  impossible  to  get  sight  of  them,  and  there 
remain  perfectly  motionless  till  all  danger  has  passed.  Shoot- 
ing grouse,  where  they  are  not  too  scarce,  is  very  lively  sport,  but 
is  usually  attended  with  great  toil,  more  especially  in  the  vicinity 


*  At  the  kind  invitation  of  our  friend,  Andrew  Staley,  Esq. 


152  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

of  long-settled  districts,  when  the  sport  is  generally  precarious 
and  uncertain.  If  a  grouse  is  missed  after  being  sprung,  it  is 
seldom  that  we  can  get  a  second  shot,  as  they  are  extremely  wary, 
and  will  not  let  the  sportsman  again  come  sufficiently  near  to 
insure  a  fatal  coup-de-fusil.  The  young  birds  fly  very  short  dis- 
tances, and  hardly  ever  rise  higher  than  the  tops  of  the  laurels, 
where  they  are  most  frequently  met  with. 

When  pheasants  are  raised  on  the  declivity  of  a  hill,  they  dive 
apparently  for  its  base,  but,  after  going  a  short  distance,  usually 
turn  off  in  another  direction ;  and  by  this  trick,  as  it  may  be  called, 
they  are  very  apt  to  mislead  the  inexperienced  shooter. 

Audubon  denies  the  commonly-received  opinion  that  several  of 
these  birds  can  be  shot  from  the  same  tree  without  disturbing  the 
others,  provided  you  commence  with  the  lower  ones  first  and  pro- 
ceed regularly  up.  He  states  that,  after  repeated  trials,  he  never 
succeeded,  except  in  some  very  few  instances,  when  there  was  a 
heavy  fall  of  snow ;  and  even  then  he  only  obtained  three  or  four  in 
this  way.  In  the  winter  season,  when  the  snow  is  very  deep  and 
soft,  pheasants,  when  hard  hunted,  will  occasionally  bury  them- 
selves in  it,  or  rather  dive  into  it,  and  emerge  again  at  a  few  paces 
in  advance. 

During  the  drumming  season,  these  wary  birds  can  be  decoyed 
from  a  considerable  distance  by  imitating  this  peculiar  noise,  which 
may  be  done  by  striking  a  large  inflated  bullock 's-bladder  with  a 
small  stick,  being  cautious  to  preserve,  as  far  as  possible,  the 
marked  time  in  which  the  cock  bird  beats.  The  ruffed  grouse  being 
naturally  so  shy  and  retiring  in  its  habits,  it  is  not  strange  that  it 
should  not  lie  well  to  a  dog ;  and  we  do  not  know  exactly  what 
suggestions  to  offer  on  this  point,  as  we  have  never  had  much 
experience  in  the  sport,  and  very  few  of  our  shooting  friends  are 
sufficiently  au  fait  in  the  matter  to  give  us  much  useful  information. 
Those  worthies  who  shoot  for  the  markets  generally  go  after  them 
accompanied  by  a  small  mongrel  terrier,  or  cur,  which  is  taught  to 
range  through  the  thickets  and  brushwood  that  these  birds  usually 
haunt.     He  gives  voice  as  freely  and  as  lively  as  a  well-trained 


THE    PHEASANT.  153 

cocker  would  do,  and,  by  following  after  the  bird,  designates  its 
course,  or,  perhaps,  stopping  under  some  tree  where  the  game  has 
pitched,  betrays  it  to  the  shooter.  This  latter  is  called  "  treeing 
pheasants."  Many  of  these  apparently  worthless  little  curs  are 
very  fond  of  this  sport,  and,  by  practice,  become  wonderfully  expert 
in  the  business,  and  will  often  discover  pheasants  where  no  other 
eye  could  distinguish  them.  They  are  also  at  times  taught  to 
retrieve,  and  will  pursue  a  wounded  pheasant  with  a  perseverance 
and  courage  that  would  often  put  the  owners  of  the  finest  dogs  to 
the  blush.  A  dog  of  this  kind,  to  a  shooter  for  the  markets,  is 
worth  his  weight  in  gold,  in  a  neighborhood  where  these  birds  are 
plenty ;  and  so  one  of  them  expressed  himself  to  us,  when  extoll- 
ing the  qualities  of  his  ugly  little  brute,  a  short  time  since.  And 
well  he  might  brag  upon  the  merits  of  his  shooting  companion,  if 
he  could  perform  one-half  of  the  deeds  attributed  to  him ;  for,  in 
a  word,  he  was  a  capital  watch-dog,  a  good-natured  playfellow 
for  his  children,  a  superior  pheasant-dog,  a  courageous  ducker,  an 
excellent  pigger,  unequalled  ratter,  fair  on  snipe,  and  useful  on 
partridges,  &c. 

If  a  setter  be  used  for  pheasant-shooting, — and  he  certainly  is 
far  preferable  to  a  pointer  for  this  sport, — he  should  be  old  and 
steady,  and  contented  with  a  point  at  twenty  or  even  thirty  feet, 
as  it  is  almost  impossible  for  a  dog  to  make  a  nearer  approach, 
even  in  the  closest  cover,  as  these  wild  birds  are  constantly  on  the 
alert,  and  will  make  off  at  the  first  intimation  of  danger,  either 
by  taking  wing  or  running.  Early  in  the  season,  however,  when 
grouse  are  young,  they  will  lie  much  better,  and  are  always  in  fine 
condition  for  the  table,  owing  to  the  great  abundance  of  wild  fruit 
which  they  can  obtain.  The  cocker,  spaniel,  and  springer,  as  stated 
in  our  edition  of  Youatt,  are,  no  doubt,  the  proper  dogs  with  which 
to  hunt  this  game.  When  the  presence  of  grouse  is  suspected,  great 
caution  and  absolute  silence  are  necessary  to  approach  them,  as  it 
is  a  singular  circumstance,  but  nevertheless  a  well-established 
fact,  that  grouse  will  bear  the  presence  of  a  dog,  or  even  the 
report  of  a  gun,  much  better  than  they  will  a  single  sound  of  the 


154 


LEWIS   S    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 


human  voice, — the  truth  of  which  any  one  can  test  whenever  an 
opportunity  offers  for  him  to  raise  them  when  pointed  by  his  dog. 
A  single  word  spoken  will  always  be  sufficient  to  do  it. 

SNARES,  ETC. 

Many  pheasants  are  snared  and  entrapped  by  the  same  means 
resorted  to  in  taking  partridges ;  and  we  may  safely  say  that  full 
one-half  of  the  birds  brought  to  market  are  obtained  in  this  way, 
and  not  by  the  gun.  Pheasants,  when  feeding,  resemble  the  wood- 
cock in  one  particular ;  and  that  is,  their  intolerable  aversion  to 
clamber  or  fly  over  any  trifling  obstruction  which  may  be  placed  in 
their  course  through  their  feeding-grounds ;  and  this  singularity  is 
taken  advantage  of  by  the  country-boys,  who  place  a  barrier 
across  their  haunts,  a  foot  or  more  high,  with  small  openings  at 
short  distances  apart,  set  with  horsehair  snoods,  as  before  de- 
scribed, and  thus  take  large  numbers  in  the  course  of  the  season. 


MEMORANDA. 

1.  The  ruffed  grouse,  or,  as  we  have  consented  to  call  it,  the 
pheasant,  is  found  in  all  the  wild  and  mountainous  districts  of  our 
country,  from  the  most  northern  latitudes  as  far  south  as  Georgia. 

2.  They  are  called  partridge  in  the  Eastern,  pheasant  in  the 
Middle,  and  grouse  in  the  Southern  States.  There  are  no  phea- 
sants, properly  speaking,  in  America. 

3.  These  birds  commence  pairing  in  March  and  April.  The 
nest  usually  contains  from  five  to  twelve  eggs. 


THE    PHEASANT. 


155 


4.  The  cock  pheasant  is  not  faithful  to  one  mate  alone ;  neither 
does  he  assist  in  incubation,  or  in  the  care  of  the  brood.     They 
associate  together  in  small  bands  till  the  young  are  full-grown 
when  they  all  pack  indiscriminately  together. 

5.  The  cock  bird  attracts  the  attention  of  the  hen,  and  allures 
her  from  her  nest,  by  making  a  peculiar  noise,  termed  drumming. 

6.  At  the  drumming  season  they  are  very  pugnacious,  and  fre- 
quent battles  take  place  among  the  males  at  this  time. 

7.  The  prevalent  opinion  that  the  flesh  of  the  pheasant  becomes 
poisonous  by  partaking  of  the  leaves  and  berries  of  the  mountain- 
laurel  is  all  fallacious,  and  may  without  hesitation  be  classed 
among  the  list  of  vulgar  errors. 

8.  Pheasants  are  partial  to  wild  strawberries,  dewberries,  whortle- 
berries, &c. — in  fact,  all  kinds  of  fruit :  their  flesh  is  white,  and 
far  more  delicate  than  that  of  the  prairie-hen. 


CHAPTER    IX. 


PINNATED   GROUSE,  OR   PRAIRIE-HEN.      TETRAO    CUPIDO. 

"  Hurrah  for  the  prairie  I     No  blight  on  its  breeze, 
No  mist  from  the  mountains,  no  shadow  from  trees." 


DESCRIPTION. 

HIS  species  of  grouse  is  very  different  in 

many  respects   from  the  last-mentioned 

variety.      Its   appearance,   habits,   flesh, 

are  all  quite   dissimilar,  and  we  regret 

never  having  had  very  full  opportunities 

for  studying   these   interesting  birds  in 

their  natural  haunts, — the  rich  prairies 

of  the  Far  West.    However,  we,  as  many 

others,  have  this  pleasure  still  in  anticipation,  and  in  the  mean  time 

will  endeavor  to  lay  before  our  sporting  friends  all  the  information 

upon  this  head  which  we  have  culled  from  reading  and  conversing 

with  those  who  have  been  in  the  habit  of  hunting  these  birds  for 
156 


THE    PRAIRIE-HEN.  157 

years  past,  and  trust,  at  all  events,  that  we  shall  succeed  in 
making  this  chapter  as  interesting  as  some  others  which  we  have 
compiled  for  the  benefit  of  sportsmen. 

Wilson  thus  describes  this  bird : — The  pinnated  grouse  is  nine- 
teen inches  long,  twenty-seven  inches  in  extent,  and  when  in  good 
order  weighs  about  three  pounds  and  a  half;  the  neck  is  furnished 
with  supplemental  wings,  each  composed  of  eighteen  feathers,  five 
of  which  are  black  and  about  three  inches  long,  the  rest  shorter, 
also  black,  streaked  laterally  with  brown,  and  of  unequal  length ; 
the  head  is  slightly  crested ;  over  the  eye  is  an  elegant  semicir- 
cular comb  of  rich  orange,  which  the  bird  has  the  power  of  raising 
or  relaxing ;  under  the  neck-wings  are  two  loose  pendulous  and 
wrinkled  skins,  extending  along  the  sides  of  the  neck  for  two- 
thirds  of  its  length,  each  of  which,  when  inflated,  resembles  in 
bulk,  color,  and  surface,  a  middle-sized  orange;  chin  cream- 
colored  ;  under  the  eye  runs  a  dark  streak  of  brown ;  whole  upper 
parts  mottled  transversely  with  black,  reddish-brown,  and  white ; 
tail  short,  very  much  rounded,  and  of  a  plain  brownish  soot-color ; 
throat  elegantly  marked  with  touches  of  reddish-brown,  white,  and 
black ;  lower  parts  of  the  breast  and  belly  pale  brown,  marked 
transversely  with  white ;  legs  covered  to  the  toes  with  hairy  down 
of  a  dirty  drab-color;  feet  dull  yellow,  toes  pectinated;  vent 
whitish ;  bill  brownish  horn-color,  eye  reddish-hazel.  The  female 
is  considerably  less;  of  a  lighter  color,  destitute  of  the  neck- 
wings,  the  naked  yellow  skin  on  the  neck,  the  semicircular  comb 
of  yellow  over  the  eye. 

LOCATION. 

The  prairie-hen  was,  no  doubt,  at  one  time  widely  disseminated 
over  our  whole  country,  more  particularly  in  those  portions  inter- 
spersed with  dry,  open  plains  surrounded  by  thin  shrubbery  or 
scantily  covered  with  trees.  Unlike  the  rufi'ed  grouse,  this  bird 
delights  in  the  clear,  open  prairie-grounds,  and  will  desert  those 
districts  entirely  which  in  the  lapse  of  time  become  covered  with 
forests.     These  birds  are  very  rare— in  fact,  may  almost  be  con- 


158  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPOBTSMAN. 

Bidered  extinct  in  the  Northern  and  Middle  States.  Within  a  fe^ 
years  they  were  quite  abundant  on  some  portions  of  Long  Island. 
They  were  also  to  be  found  in  Burlington  county,  New  Jersey, 
and  in  some  few  other  places.  There  are,  however,  still  a  few  to 
be  found  on  the  Jersey  plains,  and  every  season  we  hear  of  some 
of  our  sporting  acquaintances  exterminating  a  small  pack.  We 
know  of  ten  braces  being  killed  this  season,  (1848,)  and  about  the 
same  number  last  year,  by  the  same  party;  and,  as  usual,  in  both 
instances  these  scarce  and  beautiful  birds  were  butchered  long 
before  the  time  sanctioned  by  the  strong — or  rather  the  weak — arm 
of  the  law. 

Thus  it  is  that  the  destructive  hand  of  the  would-be  respectable 
poacher,  as  well  as  the  greedy  gun  of  the  pot-hunter,  hastens  to 
seal  the  fate  of  the  doomed  prairie-hen  in  these  Eastern  regions ; 
and  we  may  predict  with  great  certainty  that  ere  long  not  one  will 
be  found  save  upon  the  rich  plains  of  the  West ;  from  which,  also, 
in  course  of  time,  they  will  be  driven,  and  ultimately  perish,  root 
and  branch,  from  before  the  unerring  guns  of  their  ruthless  de- 
stroyers. We  understand  that  there  are  still  a  few  of  these  birds 
to  be  found  in  Pennsylvania,  we  believe  in  Northampton  county, 
where  the  pine  forests  are  thin  and  open,  and  the  country  about 
them  such  as  prairie-hens  delight  in.  They  have  always  been 
abundant  in  the  barrens  of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  as  also  in 
the  balmy  plains  and  fertile  prairies  of  Louisiana,  Indiana,  and 
Illinois.  So  numerous  were  they  a  short  time  since  in  the  barrens 
of  Kentucky,  and  so  contemptible  were  they  as  game-birds,  that 
few  huntsmen  would  deign  to  waste  powder  and  shot  on  them.  In 
fact,  they  were  held  in  pretty  much  the  same  estimation,  or  rather 
abhorrence,  that  the  crows  are  now  in  Pennsylvania  or  other  of 
the  Middle  and  Southern  States,  as  they  perpetrated  quite  as  much 
mischief  upon  the  tender  buds  and  fruits  of  the  orchards,  as  well 
as  the  grain  in  the  fields,  and  were  often  so  destructive  to  the  crops 
that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  for  the  farmers  to  employ  their 
young  negroes  to  drive  them  away  by  shooting  oif  guns  and  spring- 
ing loud  rattles  all  around  the  plantations  from  morning  till  night. 


THE    PRAIRIE-HEN.  159 

As  for  eating  them,  such  a  thing  was  hardly  dreamed  of,  the 
negroes  themselves  preferring  the  coarsest  food  to  l^is  now  much- 
admired  bird;  while  the  young  sportsman  exercised  his  skill  in 
rifle-shooting  upon  them,  in  anticipation  of  more  exciting  sport 
among  the  other  prized  denizens  of  the  plain  and  forest.  Prairie- 
chickens  have  not  only  deserted  Long  Island,  Martha's  Vineyard, 
Elizabeth  Island,  New  Jersey,  and  their  other  haunts  to  the  east- 
ward, but  they  have  also  removed  even  farther  west  than  the  bar- 
rens of  Kentucky,  and  are  no  longer  to  be  found  abundant  save  in 
Illinois,  and  on  the  extensive  plains  of  the  Missouri,  Arkansas,  and 
Columbia  Rivers. 

PERIOD   OF  PAIRING. 

As  soon  as  the  winter  breaks  up,  the  pairing  season  commences, 
generally  in  March  or  early  in  April ;  then  it  is  that  one  can  dis- 
tinguish the  well-known  booming  sound  of  the  male  bird,  known  as 
the  "tooting"  of  the  cock.  This  singular  noise  is  produced  by  the 
inflation  and  exhalation  of  the  two  small  bags  which  are  found  on 
the  neck,  and  appear  to  be  formed  by  the  expansion  of  the  skin  of 
the  gullet,  which,  when  not  filled  with  air,  hangs  in  loose,  pendu- 
lous, wrinkled  folds. 

Audubon  remarks: — "When  the  receptacles  of  air,  which,  in 
form,  color,  and  size,  resemble  a  small  orange,  are  perfectly  in- 
flated, the  bird  lowers  its  head  to  the  ground,  opens  its  bill,  and 
sends  forth,  as  it  were,  the  air  contained  in  these  bladders  in  dis- 
tinctly-separated notes,  rolling  one  after  another  from  loud  to  low, 
and  producing  a  sound  like  that  of  a  large  muffled  drum.  This 
done,  the  bird  immediately  erects  itself,  refills  its  receptacles  by 
inhalation,  and  again  proceeds  with  its  Hooting 8.'^^ 

This  "tooting"  can  be  heard  at  times  as  far  ofi"  as  a  mile,  more 
particularly  on  a  clear,  mild  morning.  If  the  air-cells  be  punc- 
tured with  a  small,  sharp  instrument  of  any  kind,  they  cannot,  of 
course,  be  again  inflated,  and  the  "tootings,"  consequently,  are  at 
an  end. 

These  birds,  like  the  ruffed  grouse,  are  extremely  pugnacious  at 


160  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

these  times,  and  during  the  early  period  of  incubation  the  males 
meet  at  earl^  dawn  at  particular  spots  termed  "scratching- 
grounds,''  where  they  toot  and  strut  about  with  extended  wings 
and  wide-spread  tails,  much  in  the  pompous  style  of  turkey-gob- 
blers ;  and,  after  a  little  while  thus  spent  in  expressing  their  wrath 
and  defiance,  they  engage  in  the  most  obstinate  and  sanguinary 
conflicts,  not  inferior  to  the  battles  often  witnessed  between  game- 
cocks. 

During  these  encounters,  they  spring  up  in  the  air  and  strike 
their  antagonists  with  the  utmost  fury,  and  oftentimes  with  the 
greatest  effect;  feathers  are  freely  plucked  from  each  other's 
bodies,  and  their  eyes  are  not  unfrequently  seriously  injured  be- 
fore one  or  other  of  the  combatants  gives  way  and  flies  to  the 
woods  for  shelter.  A  friend  of  the  author,  who  is  very  familiar 
with  the  habits  of  these  birds,  informs  him  that  last  spring  he  wit- 
nessed, for  over  an  hour,  a  series  of  battles  between  a  number  of 
these  birds  upon  a  favorite  ''•beat,  or  scratching -ground,''  and  de- 
clares that,  after  they  had  all  retired,  he  might  have  picked  up  a 
hatful  of  feathers  which  they  had  torn  from  one  another. 

The  nest  is  formed  upon  the  ground,  in  a  very  secret  spot  upon 
the  open  plain,  or  perhaps  at  the  foot  of  a  small  bush.  It  is  rudely 
constructed  with  a  few  leaves  and  particles  of  grass,  and  contains 
from  eight  to  twelve  eggs  of  a  brownish  dirt-color,  and  somewhat 
larger  than  those  of  the  Tetrao  umbellus.  The  prairie-hen  sits 
eighteen  or  nineteen  days. 

The  birds  are  able  to  run  a  very  short  time  after  hatching,  and 
the  mother  alone  attends  upon  them,  supplying  them  with  food, 
calling  them  around  her  by  a  cluck,  and  nestling  them  under  her 
wings  at  nightfall  or  when  the  weather  proves  unfavorable,  very 
much  in  the  style  of  the  common  barn-hen.  When  the  young 
leave  the  nest  the  hen  separates  from  her  mate.  The  pinnated 
grouse  is  not  so  retiring  and  secluded  in  its  disposition  as  the  other 
variety,  and  is  not  very  difficult  to  domesticate  even  when  taken 
wild,  as  it  soon  becomes  tame  and  accustomed  to  the  presence  of 
man. 


-■1  '■'.^■■'i:^ 


THE    PRAIRIE-HEN.  161 

Audubon  cut  the  tips  of  the  wings  of  sixty  of  these  birds  towards 
the  close  of  the  summer,  and  turned  them  out  into  an  enclosure, 
where  they  remained  quite  contented  the  whole  winter  through, 
and  soon  became  sufficiently  gentle  to  feed  from  the  hands  of  his 
wife.  They  appeared  quite  unmindful  of  their  former  state  of 
freedom,  and  conducted  themselves  very  similarly  to  the  tame 
fowls,  with  which  they  often  mingled  on  the  most  friendly  footing. 
In  the  spring,  they  "tooted"  and  strutted  about  in  the  most  pom- 
pous style  imaginable,  even  as  much  so  as  if  they  were  still  in  their 
native  haunts,  and  even  coupled  and  hatched  many  broods.  Their 
pugnacious  tempers  would  not  permit  them  to  quail  even  before 
the  threatening  presence  of  the  largest  turkey,  and  they  would  not 
unfrequently  take  a  round  or  two  with  the  dunghill-cocks  of  the 
poultry-yard.  The  pinnated  grouse,  as  the  other  variety,  hatch 
but  one  brood  each  season,  except  when  disturbed,  as  they  are  fre- 
quently, by  the  crows,  hawks,  polecats,  raccoons,  and  other  ani- 
mals. When  wandering  about  with  their  young,  if  interrupted, 
they  resort  to  the  same  artifices  as  the  partridge  to  protect  their 
young.  Their  food  consists  of  seeds  of  the  sumach,  grapes,  grain, 
wild  strawberries,  cranberries,  partridge-berries,  whortleberries, 
blackberries,  and  young  buds.  They  also  partake  of  worms, 
grasshoppers,  flies,  and  insects  generally.  In  the  winter  season 
they  eat  acorns,  the  tender  buds  of  the  pine,  clover-leaves,  and, 
when  convenient  to  their  haunts,  will  frequent  buckwheat  and 
other  stubbles. 

They  are  said  to  remain  stationary  during  the  whole  year  round, 
and  show  no  disposition  to  migrate  or  travel,  as  the  ruffed  grouse 
or  partridge.  They  affect  the  dryest  situations,  and  avoid  as  far 
as  possible  marshy  or  wet  places,  and  partake  very  sparingly  of 
water ;  in  fact,  depend  entirely  for  a  supply  of  this  fluid  from  the 
morning  dew,  which  they  collect  from  off  the  leaves  of  plants. 
So  dry  are  the  situations  which  these  birds  generally  frequent,  that 
it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  carry  water  along  for  the  dogs ;  other- 
wise, they  will  soon  be  entirely  overcome  by  thirst. 

11 


162  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 


FLIGHT. 

If  surprised,  the  pinnated  grouse  rises  with  a  moderate  whirring 
sound ;  but,  if  they  discover  the  sportsman  at  a  distance,  they  run 
off  with  the  utmost  speed,  then  squat  and  remain  perfectly  silent 
till  passed  by  or  put  up  by  the  dog.  Their  flight  is  strong,  regu- 
lar, and  tolerably  swift,  and  at  times,  according  to  Audubon,  pro- 
tracted to  several  miles  without  intermission.  They  fly  less  rapidly 
than  the  ruffed  grouse,  and  often  repeat  two  or  three  duckings 
when  about  to  spring  or  when  on  the  wing ;  they  also  frequently 
take  to  the  branches  of  the  highest  forest-trees,  and,  if  then  shot, 
they  fall  and  turn  round  and  round  with  great  violence,  not  unlike 
a  common  chicken,  till  dead.  If  slightly  wounded  only,  they  run 
with  great  swiftness,  and  hide  themselves  in  some  secluded  spot, 
where  they  remain  motionless. . 

FEEDING  AND   ROOSTING. 

Prairie-chickens  resort  to  their  feeding-ground  at  a  very  early 
hour  of  the  day,  and  retire  towards  noon  to  preen  and  dust  them- 
selves in  the  ploughed  fields  or  along  the  roads,  and  do  not  come 
out  again  till  late  in  the  afternoon. 

They  do  not,  as  a  general  thing,  roost  on  trees,  but,  like  the 
partridge,  they  select  a  little  eminence  of  ground  in  the  open  field, 
and  squat  about  within  a  few  feet  of  each  other;  at  all  events, 
such  is  their  usage  during  a  greater  portion  of  the  year. 

When  the  several  broods  have  united  and  formed  packs,  they 
are  said  to  resort  to  the  trees  and  fences  to  roost,  which  habit  they 
continue  till  the  following  season  of  pairing. 


THE    PRAIRIE-HEN.  163 

TIME   FOR   SHOOTING. 

The  pot-hunter  who  shoots  for  the  markets  hunts  these  birds 
long  before  the  broods  are  well  grown ;  the  real  sportsman,  how- 
ever, does  not  think  of  going  after  them  before  the  middle  of  Au- 
gust, when  the  young  birds  are  so  large  that  it  is  even  difficult  to 
tell  them  from  the  old  ones,  save  by  their  bills  and  feet. 

The  various  broods  remain  separate  and  distinct  till  the  latter 
part  of  September  or  early  in  October,  when  they  unite  together, 
forming  packs  in  many  instances  containing  several  hundred. 

As  observed  under  the  following  heading,  prairie-hens  are  not 
much  esteemed  during  the  winter  months,  and  consequently  are 
not  generally  sought  after  by  the  epicurean  sportsmen,  who  deem 
it  but  just  and  right  that  our  game  should  be  killed  only  at  those 
periods  when  it  is  in  its  best  condition. 

THEIR   FLESH. 

The  comparative  merits  of  the  meat  of  these  two  varieties  of 
grouse  are  often  a  subject  of  discussion  among  sportsmen  and 
epicures,  whose  opinions  are  often  entirely  at  variance.  We  know 
very  well  that  the  tastes  of  people  are  much  influenced  by  circum- 
stances, and  we  are  all  apt  to  relish  that  most  which  it  is  most 
difficult  to  obtain;  and  the  residents  of  those  parts  where  prairie- 
hens  are  abundant,  as  a  matter  of  course,  generally  prefer  the  white 
and  delicate  meat  of  the  ruifed  grouse,  while  those  that  live  in  the 
Atlantic  States,  and  seldom  or  never  see  a  prairie-hen,  greatly 
prefer  the  dark  meat  of  the  latter  bird,  as  it  is  to  them  a  greater 
novelty  and  luxury  than  the  other.  They  are  considered  a  great 
delicacy  at  the  East,  and,  when  exposed  for  sale,  command  extra- 
vagant prices, — seldom  less  than  five  dollars  a  brace ;  although  we 
have  purchased  superior  ones  in  the  Philadelphia  markets  for  two 
dollars,  and  even  less.*     We  do  not  think  them  equal,  by  any 


*  The  price  of  these  birds,  since  the  opening  of  the  various  direct  avenues  io 
the  West,  is  very  much  reduced,  and  will  continue  so  till  the  Eastern  demand 
causes  them  to  be  exterminated  at  all  accessible  points. 


164 


LEWIS   S    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 


means,  in  point  of  flavor  to  the  ruffed  grouse.  We  should  re- 
member, however,  that  the  flesh  of  the  prairie-chicken  is  far  more 
tender  and  juicy  during  the  months  of  August  and  September 
than  at  any  subsequent  period.  We  at  the  eastward,  therefore, 
seldom  if  ever  partake  of  them  in  their  best  condition,  as  the 
weather  is  then  too  warm  to  admit  of  their  transportation. 

At  this  time  the  flesh  of  the  prairie-fowl  is  also  light-colored, 
whereas  in  the  winter  season,  when  we  usually  receive  them  from 
the  West,  it  becomes  very  dark,  and  is  but  little  esteemed  by  those 
accustomed  to  hunt  them. 

OTHER   VARIETIES. 

There  are  other  varieties  of  grouse  found  within  the  limits  of 
the  United  States,  two  of  which  we  will  merely  mention.  They 
are  occasionally  met  with  in  the  wilds  of  Maine  and  Massachu- 
setts, but  are  more  common  in  Canada.  Their  haunts  are  very 
secluded,  and  they  seldom  encounter  the  form  of  a  human  being, 
and  consequently  are  not  much  alarmed  at  his  presence.  Their 
flesh  is  dark,  and  resembles  that  of  the  prairie-hen : — Tetrao  saliceti, 
willow  grouse ;  and  Tetrao  Canadensis,  the  spotted  or  Canada 
grouse. 


THE    PRAIRIE-HEN. 


165 


MEMORANDA. 

1.  The  prairie-hen  is  now  almost  exclusively  confined  to  the 
open  champaign  countries  of  the  West. 

2.  Their  habits  and  modes  of  life  are  very  different  from  those 
of  the  ruffed  grouse ;  the  one  seeking  the  seclusion  of  the  deepest 
forests,  while  the  other  delights  only  in  the  open  plains. 

3.  The  time  of  pairing,  period  of  incubation,  number  of  young, 
and  habits  of  male  birds,  all  much  the  same  as  the  ruffed  grouse. 

4.  The  cock  birds  at  the  pairing  season  are  heard  "tooting"  in- 
stead of  "drumming;"  they  are  very  pugnacious,  and  fight  with 
great  spirit  among  themselves  during  the  period  of  courtship. 

5.  Unlike  the  ruffed  grouse,  the  pinnated  are  easily  domesticated, 
and  will  pair  and  hatch  in  captivity ;  they  exhibit  no  disposition  to 
migrate,  as  the  other  variety  does. 

6.  Their  meat  is  dark,  and  inferior  to  that  of  the  ruffed  grouse. 


CHAPTER  X 


THE   WOODCOCK.      SCOLOPAX   MINOK. 

Hie  in !     At  that  glad  word  away  they  dart, 
And,  -winding  various  ways,  with  careful  speed 
Explore  the  cover.    Hark !  that  quest  proclaims 
The  woodcock's  haunt." 


THE   CLAIMS    OF   THE   WOODCOCK. 

HAT  bird  is  there  in  the  catalogue  of 
the  American  sportsman  which  surpasses 
the  woodcock,  whether  we  consider  the 
beauty  of  its  plumage,  its  general  con- 
tour, the  richness  and  delicacy  of  its 
meat,  or  the  pleasure  derived  from  shoot- 
ing it?  Sportsmen  eagerly  pursue  this 
interesting  and  noble  bird  in  every  quarter 
where  he  makes  his  appearance,  and  ex- 
perience more  gratification  in  the  display 

of  a  couple  of  woodcocks  than  they  would  in  the  triumphant  exhi- 
166 


THE    WOODCOCK.  16T 

bition  of  double  or  treble  the  same  number  of  partridges,  or  any 
others  of  the  feathered  tribe.  There  seems  to  be  something  pecu- 
liarly attractive  to  the  true  sportsman  in  the  very  appearance 
of  this  bird ;  for  how  often  do  we  observe  him  examine  with  de- 
light the  long  and  slender  bill,  variegated  plumage,  tapering  legs, 
and  large,  mellow  black  eyes  of  each  innocent  victim,  before  con- 
signing him  to  the  game-bag,  and  even  exhibit  more  than  ordinary 
care  in  smoothing  down  and  arranging  his  ruffled  and  bloody 
feathers. 

We,  with  the  rest  of  shooters,  both  American  and  English,  are 
quite  an  admirer  of  this  bird,  and  derive  more  satisfaction  from 
killing  a  few  couples  of  them  than  we  do  in  the  slaughter  of  a 
multitude  of  rails  or  a  fair  proportion  of  partridges.  Why  we 
have  this  feeling  we  will  not  pretand  to  explain ;  but  we  know  that 
we  have  it,  and  have  noticed  it  in  others,  and  have  more  than 
once  watched,  with  some  degree  of  astonishment,  the  eagerness 
with  which  most  of  our  friends  seek  to  bring  down  a  solitary  wood- 
cock, that  perchance  is  seen  to  flutter  across  their  path  when  in 
pursuit  of  other  game,  and,  if  successful,  they  always  evince  more 
self-satisfaction  than  if  they  had  bagged  two  or  three  brace  of  par- 
tridges. In  England,  where  these  birds  are  much  less  plentiful 
than  they  are  with  us,  ^' cock-shooting"  is  highly  prized— in  fact, 
is  considered  by  many  as  the  '^fox-hunting  '  of  shooting;  while 
all  lovers  of  the  dog  and  gun  regard  a  good  day's  woodcock-shoot- 
ing as  the  very  ne  plus  ultra  of  sport ;  and  Watts,  in  his  versifica- 
tion of  field-sports,  thus  cautions  the  anxious  shooter  when  in  quest 
of  this  game: — 

"Have  patience;  recollect  my  words: 
A  couple  of  these  precious  birds 
Yield  more  delight  to  sportsmen  true 
Than  any  other  game  can  do." 

These  doggerel  lines,  though  they  do  not  in  themselves  make 
any  great  pretensions  to  the  chaste  harmony  of  poesy,  are,  never- 
theless, sufiiciently  expressive  to  show  the  estimation  of  this  bird 
in  the  eyes  of  the  English  gentry. 


168  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

THE  NOMENCLATURE   OF  THE  WOODCOCK. 

The  nomenclature  of  the  woodcock,  like  that  of  most  other  of 
our  game-birds,  is  somewhat  confused,  being  known  in  various  sec- 
tions of  our  country  under  the  different  appellations  of  mud-snipe, 
blind  snipe,  big-headed  snipe,  marsh-plover,  and  woodhens.  The 
latter  title,  however,  is  not  often  applied  to  this  bird,  except  by 
the  over-fastidious  and  scrupulously  chaste  huckster-women  of  our 
market-houses. 

DESCRIPTION. 

The  male  woodcock  is  ten  inches  and  a  half  long  and  sixteen  in 
extent ;  bill,  brownish  flesh-color,  black  towards  the  tip ;  the  upper 
mandible  ending  in  a  slight  knob,  which  projects  one-tenth  of  an 
inch  beyond  the  lower,  two  inches  and  a  half  long,  and  grooved; 
forehead,  line  over  the  eye,  and  whole  lower  parts  reddish  tawny; 
sides  of  the  neck  inclining  to  ash ;  from  the  fore  part  of  the  eye 
backwards,  black,  crossed  by  three  narrow  bands  of  brownish- 
white;  back  and  scapulars  deep  black,  each  feather  tipped  or 
marbled  with  light  brown  and  light  ferruginous,  with  numerous 
fine  zigzag  lines  of  black  crossing  the  lighter  parts ;  quills,  plain 
dusky  brown;  tail,  black,  each  feather  marked  along  the  outer 
edges,  dralD-color  above,  and  silvery- white  below;  lining  of  the 
wing  bright-rust ;  legs  and  feet  a  pale-reddish  color ;  eye  very  full 
and  black,  seated  high  and  very  far  back  in  the  head ;  weight,  five 
ounces  and  a  half,  sometimes  six. 

"The  female  is  twelve  inches  long  and  eighteen  in  extent, 
weighs  eight  ounces,  and  differs  also  in  having  the  bill  very  nearly 
three  inches  in  length;  the  black  on  the  back  is  not  quite  so  in-, 
tense,  and  the  sides  under  the  wings  are  slightly  barred  with 
dusky." 

COMPARED   WITH   THE   ENGLISH   VARIETY. 

This  bird  is  considerably  smaller  than  the  foreign  variety;  in 
fact,  weighs  fully  one-third  less,  seldom   exceeding  six  or  nine 


THE    WOODCOCK.  169 

ounces;  while  the  ordinary  weight  of  the  English  cock  is  never 
less  than  twelve  or  fourteen  ounces,  and  two  are  mentioned  by 
writers  as  having  been  killed  weighing  sixteen  and  seventeen 
ounces  respectively.  We  have  never  met  with  an  American  bird 
heavier  than  nine  and  a  half  ounces,  save  in  one  instance,  although 
we  have  been  induced  to  test  the  weight  of  many  birds  of  our  own 
shooting,  as  well  as  those  e::|posed  in  the  markets,  that  seemed  to 
us  remarkably  fine  specimens  and  perhaps  above  the  usual  stand- 
ard in  point  of  size,  but  have  generally  been  disappointed  in  the 
results;  for  they  have  seldom  reached  eight  ounces.  A  seven- 
ounce  bird  makes  a  fine  show,  and  must  be  full-grown,  and  in  good 
condition,  to  weigh  this  much.  We  shot  a  very  fine  cock  last 
season  that  weighed  over  ten  ounces,  and  it  now  adorns  our 
cabinet.* 

The  plumage  of  these  two  varieties  is  also  considerably  difierent, 
and  the  flesh  of  the  American  bird  is  pronounced  superior  in  rich- 
ness and  juiciness  to  the  English. 

ONE   SPECIES    ONLY. 

Many  of  our  sporting  friends  believe  that  there  are  two  species 
of  woodcocks  indigenous  to  America, — a  large  and  a  small  variety. 
This,  however,  is  not  the  case,  but  an  error — and  a  very  natural 
one — arising  from  the  great  disparity  in  the  respective  sizes  of  the 
male  and  female  bird.  The  latter,  strange  to  say,  is  much  the 
largest,  and  not  unfrequently  weighs  two,  three,  and  even  four 
ounces  more  than  the  male  bird. 

HABITS   OF  WOODCOCKS. 

The  habits  of  woodcocks  are  very  interesting,  and  in  some  mea- 
sure mysterious.  They  are  migratory,  and  extend  their  journey- 
ings  as  far  north  as  the  Canadas  and  as  far  south  as  Florida. 

*  G.  D.  Wetherill,  Esq.,  informed  us,  a  few  days  since,  that  a  gentleman  sent 
him,  a  year  or  two  ago,  a  woodcock  that  weighed  fourteen  ounces,  which  was  shot 
in  New  Jersey,  and  it  was  his  intention  to  have  had  it  mounted,  but,  owing  to  the 
negligence  of  the  party  who  brought  the  bird,  it  was  too  far  gone  before  he  re- 
ceived it. 


170  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

They  breed  and  rear  their  young  throughout  the  Middle  and 
Northern  States,  and  at  the  approach  of  winter  move  off  to  the  Far 
South,  in  quest  of  the  rich  and  loamy  soil  of  those  temperate 
climes.  Notwithstanding  the  greater  mass  of  these  birds  migrate 
south,  there  is  but  little  doubt  that  numbers  of  them  remain  in 
Pennsylvania,  Jersey,  and  Delaware,  during  the  whole  winter 
through,  as  it  is  no  unusual  circumstq^nce  to  shoot  an  occasional 
cock  at  all  periods  of  the  cold  weather  in  these  States.  Early  in 
the  spring,  woodcocks  abandon  their  winter-quarters  in  the  South, 
and  betake  themselves  to  the  Northern  States  for  the  purpose  of 
incubation;  some  few,  however,  it  is  not  unlikely,  remain  in  the 
higher  elevations  and  marshy  solitudes  of  the  South  the  whole 
summer  through,  and  there  accomplish  those  promptings  of  nature 
which  impel  so  many  of  their  brethren  to  seek  the  cool  alder-swamps 
of  the  Far  North. 

FORMATION   OF  THE  HEAD. 

The  formation  of  the  head  is  somewhat  remarkable,  and  is  a 
striking  peculiarity  of  the  woodcock.  It  is  large  and  triangular. 
The  large,  prominent  black  eyes,  set  far  back  in  the  temples,  a 
considerable  distance  from  the  bill,  give  it  rather  a  strange  but 
bold  and  expressive  appearance ;  and  there  are  few  pictures  more 
pleasing  to  the  eye  of  a  sportsman  than  the  sight  of  a  startled 
woodcock  just  on  the  point  of  springing,  or  rather  when  in  the 
attitude  of  fear,  arising  from  the  stealthy  approach  of  the  shooter. 
Notwithstanding  woodcocks  possess  such  beautiful  large  eyes,  their 
vision  in  full  day  is  very  incomplete ;  in  fact,  they  are  incapable 
of  supporting  a  glaring  light,  and  consequently  see  much  better 
in  the  twilight  than  at  any  other  time.* 

Woodcocks  are  essentially  night-birds,  and  remain  concealed, 
during  a  greater  portion  of  the  day,  in  secluded  thickets,  or  hid 

*  M.  T.  W.  Chandler,  Esq.,  informs  us  that  he  knew  of  two  instances  in  which 
woodcocks  flew  in  bright  day  against  a  brick  dwelling  and  were  killed. 

These  two  facts  are  of  themselves  sufficient  to  prove  the  imperfect  vision  of  this 
bird  in  the  daytime,  or  they  certainly  would  not  have  made  such  a  mistake  in  their 
course. 


THE    WOODCOCK.  171 

away  in  the  rank  tussocks  of  the  marshes,  and  only  feed  freely  in 
the  open  grounds  at  early  dawn  or  towards  sunset.  This  will  be 
seen  more  particularly  when  we  come  to  speak  of  the  habits  of 
these  birds  along  the  ridges  of  the  Southern  rivers.  When  favored 
by  moonlight,  woodcocks  wander  about  in  search  of  food  during 
the  whole  night,  and  at  such  times,  like  rails,  become  very  fat. 
We  do  not  pretend  to  assert  that  woodcocks  feed  only  during  the 
hours  of  twilight  or  moonlight,  but  that,  from  the  peculiar  position 
and  construction  of  their  eyes,  they  are  far  better  calculated  to 
move  about  at  these  times  than  any  other. 

The  darker  and  more  dense  the  covert,  the  better  is  it  suited  for 
the  haunt  of  woodcocks,  as,  their  eyes  being  so  very  large  and 
set  so  far  back  in  the  head,  they  are  enabled  to  collect  every  faint 
ray  of  light  which  penetrates  through  the  thickest  and  most  en- 
tangled foliage;  and  in  such  places  they  may  be  seen  running 
about  and  feeding  during  the  bright  sunshine. 

There  is  no  bird  of  which  country-people  are  more  ignorant 
than  of  the  woodcock,  as  they  are  seldom  seen  by  any  except  those 
who  go  in  quest  of  them  in  their  wet  and  often  dreary  haunts ;  and 
the  confiding  and  inquisitive  sportsman  will  often  be  led  astray  if 
he  listens  to  the  silly  reports  of  our  agriculturists  respecting  them, 
and  perhaps  find  himself  on  the  track  of  a  company  of  sandpipers, 
woodpeckers,  or  other  less  dainty  and  interesting  birds. 


FOOD. 


This  timid  and  unsocial  occupant  of  our  woody  delves  and  rank 
marshes  does  not,  as  is  erroneously  supposed  by  many^ive  by  means 
of  suction ;  but  their  food  is  composed  of  worms  and  several  spe- 


172  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

cies  of  larvae,  which  they  find  concealed  under  the  leaves  and  turf 
of  the  thickets,  as  well  as  in  the  open  bogs.  Some  sportsmen 
assert  that  when  cocks  are  feeding  they  strike  their  long  bills  into 
the  soil,  and  then,  raising  their  bodies  high  on  their  feet,  they  open 
their  wings  and  flutter  round  and  round  until  they  have  sunk  their 
bills  sufiiciently  far  into  the  ground  to  reach  their  prey.  We  do 
not  know  positively  whether  cocks  perform  these  rather  singular 
gyrations,  or,  more  artistically  speaking,  "pirouettes,"  but  must 
confess  that  we  are  rather  dubious  on  the  subject,  as,  with  our 
liberal  opportunities  of  observing  the  habits  of  game-birds,  we 
have  never  yet  been  able  to  discover  a  woodcock  thus  employed, 
although  on  one  occasion  in  particular  we  watched  a  couple  feeding 
for  more  than  an  hour,  and  only  noticed  them  dexterously  turn 
over  the  withered  leaves,  and  every  now  and  then  probe,  with  the 
greatest  facility,  the  rich  loamy  soil  with  their  long  slender  bills. 
We  are  inclined  to  believe  that  this  report  of  the  feeding  of  the 
woodcock  is  more  the  result  of  imagination  than  of  actual  observa- 
tion, like  many  other  vulgar  errors  respecting  natural  history.  It 
is  possible,  however,  that  these  birds  might  be  tempted  to  resort  to 
some  such  process  as  the  above  to  enable  them  to  bury  their 
slender  bills  deep  into  the  earth  in  some  particular  spots  where 
the  soil  is  extremely  dry ;  but,  unfortunately  for  the  support  even 
of  this  hypothesis,  woodcocks  are  never  found  in  such  places,  and 
even  if  they  were,  they  could  not  hope  to  extract  from  such  a  soil 
their  usual  food,  no  matter  how  deep  their  pirouetting  might  enable 
them  to  bore.  We  would,  however  prefer  abandoning  entirely  this 
fanciful  idea,  and  should  not  perhaps  have  given  it  as  much 
attention  as  we  already  have,  had  we  not  found  the  subject  re- 
ferred to  by  a  very  respectable  writer  of  our  country,  who  seems, 
from  his  remarks,  to  give  some  credence  to  the  report.* 

The  American  cock,  without  doubt,  feeds  in  the  same  way 
as  the  European  variety,  and  which  is  minutely  described  by  a 
close  observer,  who  had  a  fair  opportunity  of  studying  the  habits 

*  We  refer  to  the  remarks  of  J.  S.  Skinner,  Esq.,  on  this  head. 


THE    WOODCOCK.  173 

of  these  interesting  birds,  in  the  aviary  of  St.  Ildephonso,  in 
Spain. 

"There  was,"  says  Mr.  Bowles,  "a  fountain  perpetually  flowing 
to  keep  the  ground  moist,  and  trees  planted  for  the  same  purpose ; 
fresh  sod  was  brought,  the  richest  in  worms  that  could  be  found. 
In  vain  did  the  worms  seek  concealment  when  the  woodcock  was 
hungry ;  it  discovered  them  by  the  smell,  stuck  its  bill  into  the 
ground,  but  never  higher  than  the  nostrils,  drew  them  out  singly, 
and,  raising  its  bill  into  the  air,  it  extended  upon  it  the  entire 
length  of  the  worm,  and  in  this  way  swallowed  it  smoothly,  with- 
out any  action  of  the  jaws.  The  whole  operation  was  performed 
in  an  instant,  and  the  motion  of  the  woodcock  was  so  equal  and 
imperceptible  that  it  seemed  doing  nothing.  It  never  missed  its 
aim :  for  this  reason,  and  because  it  never  plunged  its  bill  beyond 
the  orifice  of  the  nostrils,  I  concluded  that  smell  was  what  directed 
it  in  search  of  food." 

With  the  foregoing  quotation  we  will  dismiss  the  subject,  trust- 
ing that  some  of  our  friends  may  yet  enlighten  us  if  they  should 
ever  catch  a  woodcock  engaged  in  these  evolutions, 

THE   BILL. 

The  bill  of  the  woodcock  is  well  supplied  with  nerves,  and  is  so 
extremely  sensitive  to  the  touch  that  few  worms  can  hope  to 
escape  its  searching  explorations,  if  within  two  or  three  inches  of 
the  surface  of  the  soft  earth  into  which  they  delight  so  much  to 
bore.  Woodcocks  are  very  greedy,  or  rather  we  should  say  vora- 
cious, birds,  and  are  both  vexatious  and  difficult  to  keep  in  a  state 
of  captivity,  owing  to  the  trouble  consequent  upon  obtaining  a 
sufficiency  of  their  usual  food  for  them.  An  English  writer  ob- 
serves of  this  bird: — "A  woodcock  in  our  menagerie  very  soon 
discovered  and  drew  forth  every  worm  in  the  ground,  which  was 
dug  up  to  enable  him  to  bore ;  and  worms  put  into  a  large  garden- 
pot,  covered  with  earth  five  or  six  inches  deep,  are  always  cleared 
by  the  next  morning,  without  one  being  left.  The  enormous  quan- 
tity of  worms  that  these  birds  eat  is  scarcely  credible ;  indeed,  it 


174  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

would  be  the  constant  labor  of  one  person  to  procure  such  food  for 
two  or  three  woodcocks.  The  difficulty  of  procuring  a  sufficiency 
of  such  precarious  aliment  determined  us  to  try  if  bread  and  milk 
would  not  be  a  good  substitute ;  and  we  found  that  by  putting  clean 
washed  worms  into  the  mess,  the  bird  soon  acquired  a  taste  for 
this  new  food,  and  will  now  eat  a  basin  of  bread  and  milk  in 
twenty-four  hours  besides  the  worms  it  can  procure." 

We  quote  these  remarks  in  support  of  our  assertion  as  to  the 
voracity  of  these  birds,  and  also  for  the  information  of  any  one 
who  may  have  a  fancy  to  keep  one  of  them,  either  as  a  pet,  or  for 
the  more  laudable  purpose  of  observing  its  habits.  This  singular 
voracity  on  the  part  of  woodcocks  is  no  doubt  one  of  the  principal 
causes  of  the  unsocial  and  solitary  lives  which  the  whole  species 
seem  to  prefer,  as  no  one  spot,  however  rich  in  worms  or  larvae,  is 
capable  of  producing  sufficient  food  for  any  length  of  time  for 
more  than  one  of  these  greedy  cormorants. 

INCUBATION. 

Woodcocks  begin  laying  in  April,  sometimes  much  earlier :  the 
nest  is  formed  in  a  very  artless  manner,  generally  composed  of  a 
few  dried  leaves  or  small  portions  of  grass,  and  situated  at  the  foot 
of  an  old  stump  or  tussock,  within  a  copse  or  thick  wood.  It 
usually  contains  three,  four,  or  five  brown-spotted  eggs,  over  an 
inch  long.  The  period  of  incubation  is  about  the  same  time  with 
the  partridge — three  weeks ;  and  the  young  leave  the  nest  a  short 
time  after  escaping  from  the  shell,  but  are  not  by  any  means  as 
expert  at  running  as  young  partridges,  it  being  no  uncommon  cir- 
cumstance to  catch  young  cocks,  but  very  difficult,  on  the  other 
hand,  to  make  captive  a  young  partridge,  even  when  only  a  day 
or  two  old. 

At  this  season  of  the  year  the  male  bird  is  said  to  perform,  at 
times,  more  particularly  about  early  dawn,  some  very  singular 
manoeuvres:  rising  by  a  kind  of  spiral  course  to  a  considerable 
height  in  the  air,  uttering  a  sudden  or  sharp  "quack,"  till,  having 
gained  his  utmost  elevation,  he  hovers  round  in  a  wide,  irregular 


THE    WOODCOCK.  175 

manner,  making  a  sort  of  murmuring  sound,  and  then  descends 
with  the  same  rapidity  that  he  arose.  This  movement,  accom- 
panied by  the  short,  discordant  note  or  "quack,"  is  the  call  of  the 
male  to  his  favorite  female. 

We  must  not  forget  to  mention  one  other  peculiarity  of  these 
birds,  and  that  is  the  somewhat  extraordinary  habit  they  have  of 
carrying  their  young  on  their  backs  from  place  to  place.  We  have 
never  been  so  fortunate  as  to  see  a  woodcock  adopt  this  novel  mode 
of  conveyance  for  her  young,  and  must  confess  that  we  are  rather 
skeptical  on  the  subject,  although  we  have  heard  it  from  others 
who  have  witnessed  it, — at  least,  they  told  us  so,  and  of  course  we 
could  not  doubt  their  word,  though  we  might  have  thought  of  the 
"traveller's  privilege."  Notwithstanding  the  improbability  of  the 
whole  affair,  it  is  well  supported  by  the  assertions  of  Yiellot,  in 
his  GfaUrie  des  Oiseaux,  for  he  states  that  such  is  the  fact,  and, 
moreover,  that  he  has  seen  them  do  it  ^^plusieurs  fois." 

Many  persons  believe  that  woodcocks  raise  two  broods  each 
season.  Whether  or  not  this  is  the  case  in  the  Northern  States,  it 
is  difficult  to  say ;  we  do  not  doubt,  however,  that  such  is  often  the 
fact,  when  circumstances  exist  similar  to  those  that  drive  the  par- 
tridge to  a  second  incubation.  "Frank  Forester"  expresses  him- 
self quite  positively  on  this  point,  and  we  know  no  one  in  whose 
opinions  upon  such  matters  we  ought  to  place  so  much  confidence, 
as  this  accomplished  sportsman  has  certainly  had  ample  opportu- 
nity, as  well  as  inclination,  to   ascertain  such  interesting  facts. 


176  lewis's  amekican  sportsman. 

He  says : — "  The  ordinary  number  at  a  hatching  is  four  birds,  and 
if  the  first  brood  gets  off  early  the  parents  immediately  proceed 
to  a  second  incubation,  the  male  bird  in  this  case  taking  care  of 
the  first  brood  until  the  second  gets  off,  when  all  associate  together 
until  the  moulting  season,  when  all  ties  are  dissolved,  and  they 
know  thenceforth  neither  kindred  nor  kindness."  If  the  season 
is  very  forward  and  mild,  woodcocks'  nests  may  be  found  even  as 
early  as  March  or  perhaps  the  latter  part  of  February. 

TIME    FOR    SHOOTING    COCKS. 

If  the  weather  continues  favorable  during  the  breeding  season, 
many  young  birds  are  large  enough,  throughout  the  Middle  States, 
to  shoot  in  July,  but  many  more  half-grown  ones  will  be  found. 

If  we  could  hope  to  exert  any  influence  over  the  shooting  pro- 
pensities of  the  sporting  community,  we  would  advise  them  to 
abstain  from  hunting  these  birds  till  late  in  September,  or  rather 
October,  when  their  age  and  increased  size  render  them  not  only 
a  savory  dish  for  the  table,  but  the  rapidity  of  their  flight  insures 
them  some  chance  of  escape  from  the  ever  ready  gun.  No  sports- 
man can  take  any  particular  credit  to  himself  for  the  wholesale 
slaughter  of  young  cocks  during  the  month  of  July,  as  at  this  time 
many  of  their  victims  can  scarcely  fly  over  a  few  yards,  and  might 
as  well  be  knocked  down  with  a  long  pole  as  fired  at  with  a  gun. 
However,  both  custom  and  the  laws  have  sanctioned  the  barbarous 
habit  of  shooting  these  birds  at  a  much  earlier  period  than  October ; 
in  fact,  have  given  license  for  their  destruction  when  only  half 
fledged,  and  when,  perhaps,  the  old  birds  are  still  engaged  in  the 
hatching  or  rearing  of  a  second  brood.  By  the  passage  of  these 
injudicious  enactments,  our  State  legislators  actually  adopt  and 
encourage  a  certain  plan  to  render  this  species  of  game,  as  well  as 
other  kinds,  nearly  extinct  throughout  the  country,  in  the  course 
of  some  few  years.  All  we  might  say  upon  this  subject  would 
avail  but  little,  without  the  cheerful  assistance  of  more  wise 
legislation.  We  therefore  pass  it  by  with  these  few  observations 
to  all  intelligent  and  liberal  sportsmen,  trusting  that  no  gentleman 


THE    WOODCOCK.  177 

who  follows  the  sports  of  the  field  as  a  manly  and  noble  pastime 
will  henceforth  be  so  recreant  to  the  cause  of  humanity,  and  so 
blind  to  the  high  duties  of  the  craft,  as  to  be  seen  with  a  gun  in 
his  hand,  at  all  events,  in  the  month  of  June,  in  quest  of  the  feeble 
young  cocks. 

At  this  early  period  all  will  acknowledge  that  woodcocks  are 
under  the  parental  care,  and  generally  are  too  weak  to  raise  their 
tender  limbs  above  the  tops  of  the  lowest  thickets,  and  not  unfre- 
quently  they  drop  dead  from  mere  fright  on  the  discharge  of  the 
fowling-piece. 

Such  conduct  on  the  part  of  shooters  who  ought  to  know  better 
is  disgraceful  in  the  extreme;  and  we  cannot  understand  what 
pleasure  can  be  derived  from  killing  these  miserable  little  birds 
one  moment  before  the  time  set  apart  for  their  destruction,  as  they 
are  too  small  and  insipid  for  the  table  even  in  July ;  and  honorable 
sportsmen  should  not  take  any  pride  in  doing  that  which  they  are 
forced  to  do  by  stealth,  as  is  necessarily  the  case  if  they  go  after 
them  in  the  latter  part  of  June.  Every  day — nay,  every  hour — 
of  existence  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  woodcocks  at  this 
period  of  the  year :  the  destruction  of  a  single  old  one  may  involve 
the  loss  of  a  whole  brood  of  young  ones,  which,  if  a  few  days  older, 
would  have  been  able  to  take  care  of  themselves.  We  know  of 
several  sportsmen  in  our  city  who  are  in  the  habit  of  slipping  off  a 
few  days  before  the  close  of  June,  to  have,  as  they  term  it,  ""the 
first  crack  at  the  cocks;''  and  we  hope  that  their  eyes  may  meet 
with  these  remarks,  and  that  they  may  relish  them  in  the  right 
spirit  and  mend  their  ways  accordingly. 

The  law  does  not  sanction  the  shooting  of  these  birds,  in  our 
Northern  States,  before  the  fourth  of  July ;  and  it  would  have  been 
far  better  if  the  framers  of  those  legal  enactments  had  prolonged 
the  term  of  prohibition  through  the  months  of  July  and  August. 
Some  sportsmen,  in  justification  of  their  wanton  amusement,  will 
tell  us,  no  doubt,  that  cocks  are  a  migratory  and  uncertain  bird, 
and  if  we  do  not  kill  them  in  the  summer  we  may  not  have  the 
opportunity  of  doing  it  in  the  autumn,  as  they  will  abandon  their 

12 


178  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

old  feeding-grounds  for  the  Far  South,  or  other  spots  equally  re- 
mote. This  is  not  the  case ;  for  woodcocks,  as  before  mentioned, 
remain  with  us  till  the  cold  weather  sets  in,  and  if  they  were  not 
slaughtered  in  such  immense  numbers  during  June  and  July  we 
should  have  an  abundance  of  them  in  the  months  of  September  and 
October.  But  the  fact  is,  they  are  nearly  all  killed  during  these 
months,  and  the  few  which  are  left  unharmed  have  become  so  wild 
and  cunning  that  they  are  difficult  to  be  got  at.  We  all  know  that 
it  is  no  very  unusual  thing  for  even  a  tolerable  shot  to  bag  fifteen 
or  twenty  couples  of  young  cocks  in  the  course  of  one  day's  shoot- 
ing ;  and  well  may  he  do  it,  and  make  a  brag  of  it  besides,  when 
he  goes  after  birds  which  may  be  shot  on  their  nests,  or  are  being 
led  about  by  their  anxious  parents  in  quest  of  food. 

The  game-laws  of  most  of  our  States  are  a  ''mere  bagatelle,'' 
that  no  one  regards ;  in  other  words,  they  are  all  a  dead  letter,  as 
there  are  no  appointed  agents  intrusted  with  the  care  of  them, 
and  there  are  few  if  any  persons  willing  to  take  upon  themselves 
the  trouble  and  responsibility  of  enforcing  them,  or  calling  wilful 
ofienders  to  account  for  their  many  misdeeds.  Hundreds  of  trans- 
gressors consequently  escape  year  after  year,  unwhipped  of  justice, 
until  at  last  they  lose  sight  of  the  law,  if  there  be  any,  entirely, 
and  stalk  boldly  over  the  country,  destroying  game  in  season  and 
out  of  season,  just  when  it  suits  their  fancy  or  inclination.  Why 
do  the  inhabitants  of  New  Jersey,  Delaware,  Pennsylvania,  and 
other  States,  allow  those  reckless  shooters,  just  let  loose  from  the 
purlieus  of  our  cities,  to  overrun  their  grounds  and  kill  woodcocks 
two  or  three  weeks  before  the  time  allowed  even  by  law  ?  Is  there 
no  one  among  the  respectable  and  worthy  agriculturists  of  those 
States  possessing  sufficient  energy  or  moral  courage  to  make  a  few 
examples  of  these  lawless  fellows,  who  sally  forth  to  destroy  these 
noble  birds  for  mere  wanton  amusement,  as  the  most  of  them  are 
unsuitable  for  eating,  or  any  other  good  purpose,  at  this  early 
season  ? 

Legislation  most  assuredly  sanctions  the-  "slaughter  of  cocks" 
at  a  sufficiently  early  day,  and  every  shooter  should  discounte- 


THE    WOODCOCK.  179 

nance,  both  by  precept  and  example,  the  barbarous  habit  of  going 
after  them  one  hour  before  the  appointed  time,  as  every  moment 
of  existence,  both  to  the  old  and  young  bird,  is  of  immediate  con- 
sequence. Many  old  birds  are  yet  sitting  on  their  nests ;  while 
hundreds  of  young  ones  are  running  about,  too  feeble  to  take  care 
of  themselves,  and  consequently  soon  perish  if  deprived  of  the 
protection  of  their  parents.  Some  of  our  farmers  are  fond  of 
shooting,  and  really  enjoy  the  sports  of  the  field  in  a  fair  and 
legitimate  way;  and  we  are  astonished  that  these  do  not  interest 
themselves  so  far  in  this  matter  as  to  have  the  prohibitory  time  for 
cock-shooting  extended  beyond  July ;  for  under  the  present  regu- 
lations they  can  never  hope  to  enjoy  this  sport,  as  they  are  always 
too  much  occupied  during  this  month  in  housing  their  crops  to 
think  of  devoting  any  portion  of  their  time  to  cocking,  and  the 
birds  are  pretty  much  all  killed  before  their  leisure  hours  come 
round. 

We  do  not  wish  to  stir  up  any  unfriendly  strife  between  the 
farmers  and  citizens ;  there  is  already  too  much  jealousy  existing 
on  kindred  subjects  between  them;  but,  at  the  same  time,  we  do 
not  hesitate  to  declare  that  we  haTO  no  objection  to  see  the 
former  assert  their  just  rights,  and  maintain  them  in  all  matters 
of  this  kind,  provided  they  are  influenced  by  a  proper  spirit. 
There  are,  however,  many  headstrong  and  selfish  farmers  in  our 
rural  districts,  who  put  us  very  much  in  mind  of  the  far-famed 
fable  of  the  Dog  in  the  Manger,  as  they  neither  have  a  desire  or 
fancy  to  kill  the  game  themselves  nor  will  they  permit  any  one 
else  to  do  it.  No  one,  we  conceive,  has  a  better  title  to  game 
generally  than  the  farmer,  as  it  is  on  his  ground  that  the  birds  are 
bred  and  reared,  and  it  is  from  the  rich  gleanings  of  his  stubble- 
fields  that  they  thrive  and  grow  fat. 

We  would,  therefore,  respectfully  urge  the  farmer-sportsman  to 
have  the  enactment  regarding  cock-shooting  changed;  for,  as  it 
now  reads,  it  is  framed  only  for  the  benefit  of  the  city  shooters. 
And,  when  changed,  we  would  also  impress  upon  him  the  necessity 
of  seeing  it  duly  enforced. 


180 


lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 


INGENUITY   OF   THE   HEN   IN   CONCEALING   HER   YOUNG. 

The  hen  woodcock,  like  the  partridge,  exhibits  great  ingenuity 
in  her  eflforts  to  conceal  her  young  and  to  draw  off  the  sportsman 
or  his  dog  from  the  spot  occupied  by  the  nest,  or,  perhaps,  little 
brood.  She  flutters  along  the  ground,  dragging  her  body  heavily 
after  her,  as  if  wounded  and  incapable  of  flight,  until  the  dog 
is  nearly  on  her,  when  she  makes  off  again  to  a  short  distance 
and  repeats  the  same  manoeuvres  as  before.  When  she  has  suc- 
ceeded in  enticing  her  pursuers  a  considerable  distance  from  the 
starting-point,  she  suddenly  takes  wing,  greatly  to  the  surprise  of 
all,  and  flies  off  in  beautiful  style,  and  in  a  very  short  time  returns 
by  a  circuitous  route  to  the  spot  where  she  abandoned  her  off- 
spring. 


THE     WOODCOCK.  Igl 


WHERE   TO   FIND    COCKS. 

"  Startled  by  the  report,  a  woodcock  springs 
From  the  lo-w  marsh,  flitting  with  nimble  wings  : 
In  vain  he  flies ;  he  feels  the  fatal  lead, 
Curves  flapping  down,  and  falls  with  pinions  spread." 

These  birds,  as  before  observed,  delight  in  a  wet,  loamy  soil, 
and  are  seldom  or  never  found  in  the  upland  districts,  but  most 
frequently  locate  themselves  along  the  marshy  willow  and  alder- 
borders  and  extensive  flats  of  our  rivers.  They  also  secrete  them- 
selves in  the  dense  thickets  of  underbrush  along  the  margins  of 
smaller  streams,  or  hide  themselves  in  the  rank  grass  and  luxu- 
riant fern  of  our  wet  meadow-lands.  In  fact,  wherever  there  is 
good  boring-ground  and  a  certain  degree  of  seclusion,  there  will 
be  found  woodcocks  in  the  month  of  July,  many  or  few,  according 
to  the  nature  of  the  soil  and  the  favorable  or  unfavorable  state  of 
the  breeding  season. 

When  there  has  been  a  long  continuance  of  dry  weather,  it  is 
quite  useless  to  examine  light  and  open  coverts  or  sparse  woods 
in  quest  of  cocks,  as  at  such  times  they  will  be  found  either  on 
the  open  wet  bottoms,  if  such  spots  can  then  be  met  with,  or  more 
likely  in  the  deep,  impermeable  thickets  and  entangled  brakes, 
where  the  ground  seldom  or  never  entirely  loses  its  moisture.  On 
the  other  hand,  when  the  weather  has  been  extremely  wet  for 
some  days,  woodcocks  will  betake  themselves  to  the  hill-sides  or 
elevated  grounds,  as  they  are  not  by  any  means  partial  to  too 
much  water,  although  a  certain  degree  of  moisture  is  absolutely 
necessary  for  their  very  existence.  When  the  weather  begins  to 
get  cool,  they  may  also  be  found  in  the  open  woody  glens  or  clear- 
ings, enjoying,  as  it  were,  the  mild  warmth  of  the  autumn  sun,  as 
the  feeble  rays  from  time  to  time  pierce  the  sparse  foliage  of  the 
overhanging  trees,  or  actively  engaged  boring  in  the  mossy  banks 
of  the  warm  rills  which  so  often  spring  up  from  such  sheltered  situa- 
tions. In  sections  of  the  country  where  these  birds  resort,  we 
can  scarcely  visit  a  spot  of  this  kind  early  in  October  without 


182  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

finding  a  couple  or  so  of  cocks,  provided  the  ground  is  not  too  often 
overrun  with  shooters.* 

Still  later  in  the  season  they  may  be  met  with  in  the  more  deep 
and  sheltered  wood-swamps,  where  the  insects,  larvae,  and  earth- 
worms, protected  in  a  measure  from  the  biting  frosts  of  more 
exposed  situations,  are  enabled  to  remain  near  the  surface  during 
the  severest  weather.  Here  it  is  that  the  sportsman  will  discover 
the  perforations  or  borings  of  this  lonely  bird. 

The  warm  and  almost  impenetrable  cedar-swamps  are  also 
favorite  resorts  for  such  woodcocks  as  remain  in  the  North  during 
the  cold  weather,  as  the  springs  in  such  situations  seldom  freeze, 
and  there  is  always  to  be  found  a  scanty  supply  of  suitable  food 
even  in  the  depths  of  winter.  These  birds,  however,  like  the 
snipe,  are  very  uncertain  in  their  movements,  being  governed  a 
good  deal  by  the  state  of  the  weather  and  the  consequent  condition 
of  the  soil  in  their  natural  haunts  for  boring. 

Woodcocks  are  very  abundant  in  Jersey  and  Delaware,  particu- 
larly after  a  dry  spell  of  weather,  as  they  congregate  there  from 
the  interior  of  the  country  and  spread  themselves  over  the  wide 
extent  of  meadow-lands  and  marshy  cripples  so  congenial  to  their 
habits,  and  which  are  so  general  in  the  lower  portions  of  these 
States.  Cock-shooting  in  these  districts  is  as  laborious  as  snipe- 
shooting,  if  not  more  so,  especially  if  pursued — as  is,  we  may  say, 
universally  the  custom  —  during  the  oppressive  hot  weather  of 
July  and  August.  In  wandering  over  these  extensive  marshes, 
or,  as   they  are  vulgarly  called,  mashes,  it  is  necessary  for  the 


*  Our  friend,  M.  T.  W.  Chandler,  Esq.,  mentioned  to  us  a  few  days  since,  in  course 
of  conversation,  that  he  had  noticed  that  cocks  are  seldom  or  never  found  in  the 
swamps  of  an  iron-district.  He  also  stated  that  he  considered  their  absence  from 
such  places  owing  to  the  general  acidity  of  the  soil,  which  always,  in  these  iron 
regions,  contains  a  large  proportion  of  oxygen ;  a  fact,  by-the-by,  well  known  to 
all  intelligent  farmers,  who  always  spread  quantities  of  lime  on  such  places,  to 
sweeten  the  soil,  as  they  say,  and  make  it  in  a  condition  to  produce.  We  know 
from  our  own  observation  that  but  few  or  no  worms  can  be  found  in  these  sour 
marshes,  and  the  vegetable  products  themselves  are  coarse  and  ill-flavored. 

Mr.  Chandler  also  states  that  cocks  are  rare  in  the  coal-regions,  owing,  no  doubt, 
to  the  noxious  gases  that  oftentimes  are  generated  in  such  soils. 


THE    WOODCOCK.  183 

sportsman  to  exercise  considerable  dexterity  in  stepping  from 
tussock  to  tussock;  otherwise  he  will  often  be  doomed  to  a  sud- 
den plunge  into  the  filthy  oozes  that  surround  him  on  every 
side.  The  excessive  heat  of  the  weather  is  another  strong  objec- 
tion to  the  shooting  of  woodcocks  in  the  month  of  July,  as  the 
temperature  is  often  so  oppressive  that  the  birds  will  spoil  in  the 
course  of  a  few  hours  after  being  shot,  and,  in  some  instances, 
even  before  leaving  the  field  for  the  day.  As  for  hoping  to  keep 
the  birds  over  a  day  or  two,  to  carry  home,  such  a  thing  is  quite 
impossible,  and  the  sportsman,  consequently,  is  forced  to  throw 
them  away  sometimes  when  only  a  few  hours  old,  if  he  cannot 
procure  ice  to  pack  them  in,  which  article,  by-the-by,  is  not  always 
to  be  had  in  the  country. 

We  have  noticed,  with  sentiments  of  sorrow,  a  very  prevalent 
but  at  the  same  time  very  unfortunate  ambition  on  the  part  of 
many  of  our  sporting  friends, —  to  boast  of  quantity  rather  than 
quality  of  game  killed. 

This  braggart  feeling  should  be  at  all  times  discouraged  and 
reprobated  among  gentlemen,  as  quantity  is  not  by  any  means  a 
safe  test  for  a  superior  shot,  neither  is  it  the  just  criterion  of  an 
accomplished  sportsman.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  quantity  not 
unfrequently  goes  to  prove  that  he  who  claims  this  distinction  has 
been  more  eager,  more  greedy,  more  selfish,  than  his  companion,  and 
perhaps  less  courteous  and  gentlemanly  in  the  field  than  he  should 
have  been.  This  foolish  ambition  as  regards  quantity  is  often  dis- 
played in  its  most  deplorable  form  in  the  wanton  and  reckless  de- 
struction of  young  woodcocks,  which,  as  before  observed,  are  shot 
by  hundreds  when  too  feeble  to  save  themselves  by  flight,  when  too 
young  to  afford  suitable  food  for  the  table,  and  under  circumstances, 
oftentimes,  when  these  desolators  of  our  fields  and  forests  know 
full  well  that  they  can  make  no  use  of  them.  How  mortifying, 
how  degrading,  in  the  eyes  of  humanity,  that  such  a  cruel,  reck- 
less, and  thoughtless  propensity  for  the  taking  of  life  should  exist 
in  our  very  midst, — should  be  encouraged  by  the  example  of  some 
of  those  with  whom  we  daily  associate, — and  even  be  discovered 


184  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

lurking  in  the  breasts  of  men  wliom,  in  our  ordinary  intercourse 
with  the  world,  we  would  fain  pronounce  amiable,  humane,  and  con- 
siderate !  We  agree  with  Mr.  Skinner  when  he  remarks  that  "  a 
great  fault  in  sportsmen  is  the  ambition  of  killing  for  quantity, 
which  occasions  them  to  protract  their  hunt  until  many  of  the 
birds  are  spoiled  by  the  heat  and  delay.  The  sportsman  should 
have  a  spice  of  chivalry  in  his  composition;  he  should  not  be 
merely  a  wanton  and  reckless  destroyer.  He  should  always  spare 
the  hovering  bird,  and  confine  his  efforts  to  others,  to  the  number 
he  can  carry  in  order  to  his  home,  for  his  friends  or  himself.  I  have 
known  this  pernicious  system  of  shooting  for  quantity  pursued  on 
the  grouse,  and,  to  gratify  the  false  pride  of  killing  more  than  any 
other  party,  the  time  protracted  until  all  the  birds  killed  on  the 
first  day  were  spoiled  and  had  to  be  thrown  away.  You  should 
raise  your  voice  against  this  growing  and  vicious  ambition,  and 
establish  it  as  a  rule  among  sportsmen,  that  credit  should  be  given 
only  for  such  game  as  each  returned  with  in  good  order. 

"  Our  Indians  look  upon  this  habit  of  the  whites  with  the  utmost 
horror.  *He  kills  and  wastes,'  say  they,  *  without  object;  and  riots 
over  life  as  if  it  were  a  thing  of  no  value.  The  game  vanishes 
from  his  desolating  path,  and  the  ground  is  covered  by  his  destroy- 
ing hand  with  that  which  he  does  not  mean  to  use.  The  boun- 
teous gifts  of  the  Great  Spirit  are  the  mere  objects  of  his  wanton 
destruction.'  "We  should  redeem  ourselves  from  this  just  reproach, 
and  infuse  some  prudential  consideration  and  moral  feeling  in  our 
hours  of  sport."* 

*  We  are  glad  to  observe  that  the  supervisors  of  our  public  squares  are  disposed 
to  encourage  the  presence  of  squirrels  and  birds  within  these  enclosures,  by  alFord- 
ing  them  the  necessary  protection  from  the  many  thoughtless  and  inconsiderate 
youth  who  frequent  these  places  of  resort.  They  have  also  very  latterly  permitted 
the  introduction  of  some  beautiful  peacocks,  that  seem  already  contented  and  quite 
at  home  in  their  new  quarters. 

The  habitual  presence  of  the  numberless  birds  that  now  build  their  nests,  rear 
their  young,  and  enliven  our  parks  with  their  melodious  strains, — the  presence  of 
the  ever-welcome,  lively,  and  frolicksome  squirrels  whidh  will  soon  abound  in  these 
safe  retreats, — the  presence  of  the  elegant,  graceful,  and  gorgeous  peacock,  as  he 
struts  majestically  about  over  the  greensward,  will  have  perhaps  a  far  more  ex- 


THE    WOODCOCK.  185 

Few,  we  think,  can  expect  to  derive  much  real  pleasure  or  bene- 
fit from  the  exposure  consequent  upon  a  cock-shooting  expedition, 
exposed  as  they  are,  for  hours  together,  not  only  to  the  burning 
rays  of  a  July  sun,  but  also  to  the  inhalation  of  the  poisonous 
gases  that  are  always  engendered  in  these  miasmatic  situations 
during  the  summer  months.  These  two  circumstances  alone, 
independent  of  any  other  reasons,  ought  to  be  sufficient  to  pre- 
vent any  sensible  sportsman  from  entering  into  the  amusement  at 
this  season  of  the  year.  However,  the  temptation  to  go  after 
woodcock  at  this  time,  we  must  acknowledge,  is  often  very  strong ; 
and  we  are  not  surprised  that  but  few  can  resist  it,  particularly 
when  the  law  encourages  it,  and  almost  every  one  hears  his  sport- 
ing friends  around  him  boasting  of  their  great  success  and  wonder- 
ful deeds  the  day  previous. 


DISAPPEAEANCE  OF  WOODCOCKS. 

During  the  period  of  moulting — the  latter  part  of  August  and 
the  month  of  September — woodcocks  disappear,  or  are  said  to  dis- 
appear, for  a  short  time,  from  their  usual  haunts,  and  retire  either 

tended,  a  far  more  beneficial  influence  over  the  community  than  the  city  fathers  at 
'first  supposed  or  intended. 

May  we  not  confidently  hope  that  their  presence  in  these  places  will  engender 
in  the  bosoms  of  our  youth  a  better  appreciation  and  a  more  becoming  respect  for 
these  lowly  but  still  very  interesting  objects  of  creation  ?  will  foster  and  cultivate 
the  kindlier  feelings  of  the  heart  ?  will  give  rise  to  and  encourage  a  love  for  the 
beautiful  and  a  taste  for  the  study  of  natural  history,  and  perhaps  do  more  than 
any  other  plan  could  towards  crushing,  as  it  were,  in  the  very  germ,  that  disposi- 
tion to  kill  and  destroy  which  unfortunately  is  so  characteristic  of  American  youth  ? 


186  lewis's     AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

far  north,  entirely  out  of  the  reach  of  our  sportsmen,  or  con- 
gregate, as  has  been  asserted  by  many,  on  the  wild  and  rugged 
hills  of  the  mountain-ranges,  and  there  live  a  life  of  deep  seclu- 
sion and  indolence  during  this  annual  sickness.  We  have  heard, 
and  even  read,  much  upon  this  disputed  point,  as  to  the  where- 
abouts of  these  birds  at  this  time,  and  have  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  they  do  not  all  follow  the  same  biddings  of  nature,  but  that 
some  remain  closely  concealed  in  their  old  grounds,  others,  per- 
haps, go  far  north,  and  many  betake  themselves  to  the  high 
grounds  of  the  interior.  By  the  expression  of  this  opinion  we  are 
sure  not  to  go  far  astray  from  the  truth,  and  at  the  same  time  we 
do  not  compromise  ourselves,  or  offend  the  peculiar  doctrines  of 
any  sportsman  upon  this  subject,  as  we  freely  confess  our  belief, 
or  rather  partial  belief,  in  nearly  all  the  theories  yet  advanced. 

In  the  getting  up  of  this  work  for  the  benefit  of  sportsmen,  we 
wish  them  all  to  look  upon  us  more  in  the  light  of  a  compiler  than 
of  an  author,  as  our  great  aim  has  been  to  collect  from  all  and 
every  source  the  greatest  amount  of  information  to  elucidate  the 
various  subjects  under  discussion,  not  relying  solely  upon  our  own 
experience  and  observation,  but  culling  a  little  here  and  there  from 
every  one  that  chance  or  design  threw  in  our  way. 

It  is  not  an  unusual  circumstance  to  find  cocks  in  the  wet  and 
rich  cornfields  during  the  moulting  season.  Here  they  frequently 
escape  the  notice  of  sportsmen,  who,  by-the-by,  generally  have  a 
repugnance  to  hunt  in  these  places,  not  only  on  account  of  the 
disagreeable  walking,  but  because  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  shoot 
birds  when  the  corn  is  standing  two  or  three  feet  higher  than  one's 
head,  for  the  moment  the  cock  is  up  he  is  out  of  sight.  We  would, 
however,  advise  all  inquiring  shooters  to  hunt  out  every  moist 
cornfield  that  comes  in  their  way  at  this  season,  and  they  will 
soon  be  satisfied  of  the  truth  of  our  assertion.  In  saying  this, 
however,  we  do  not  wish  to  be  understood  as  aiding  and  abetting 
the  hunting  of  cocks  at  this  time,  for  we  heartily  disapprove  of  it, 
even  more  than  we  do  the  shooting  of  them  in  July,  as  they  are 
now  in  a  measure  diseased,  and  not  at  all  suitable  for  the  table ; 


THE    WOODCOCK.  187 

but  we  advise  the  exploration  of  the  cornfields  by  the  inquiring 
sportsman  or  naturalist,  for  the  confirmation  of  our  statement 
regarding  the  habits  of  these  birds. 

However,  when  we  take  into  consideration  the  immense  slaughter 
of  cocks  during  the  month  of  July,  it  is  not  very  hard  to  account 
for  their  scarcity  during  the  following  month,  even  if  it  were  not 
the  season  of  moulting ;  and  we  see  no  reason  why  we  should  be 
racking  our  brains  to  account  for  their  disappearance. 

FLIGHT    OF   WOODCOCKS. 

The  flight  of  young  cocks  is  slow  and  regular,  and  seldom  pro- 
tracted in  a  cripple  to  a  greater  distance  than  fifty  yards.  They 
merely  skim  over  the  tops  of  the  reeds  or  bushes,  and  drop  sud- 
denly and  heavily  to  the  ground,  with  a  kind  of  impetus  that  sends 
them  running  forward  several  yards. 

In  July,  young  cocks  are  very  tender  and  easily  killed,  one  or 
two  small  pellets  being  quite  sufficient  to  bring  them  down.  Later 
in  the  season,  having  gained  strength  and  muscle,  cocks  fly  with 
much  more  vigor.  They  may  then  be  seen  darting  ofi*,  with  a  shrill 
piping  note,  in  sharp  and  rapid  zigzags,  even  over  the  tops  of  the 
highest  trees ;  and  it  requires  the  steady  hand  and  piercing  eye  of 
the  long-practised  shooter  to  stop  them  in  their  headlong  career. 

When  found  on  the  open  grounds  and  meadows,  it  is  easy  enough 
to  shoot  woodcocks ;  but  it  is  quite  another  afi'air  in  the  high  woods 
and  thickets,  as  they  rise,  not  unfrequently,  in  an  almost  spiral, 
perpendicular  direction,  twisting  and  turning  with  such  rapidity 
that  they  gain  the  tops  of  the  trees  and  dart  off  before  they  can  be 
fully  covered  even  with  the  sharpest  eye  and  readiest  hand. 

FIRE-HUNTINa   OF   COCKS. 

There  is  a  mode  of  taking  woodcocks  in  Louisiana,  which  is 
practised,  perhaps,  in  no  other  section  of  the  country ;  it  is  termed 
"fire-hunting,"  and  was,  no  doubt,  introduced  by  the  French 
population  of  those  parts.  A  full  description  of  this  sport,  from 
the  graphic  pen  of  T.  3.  Thorpe,  Esq.,  will  be  found  in  Porter's 


188  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

republication  of  "Hawker."  Fire-hunting  is  almost  entirely  con- 
fined to  a  narrow  strip  of  country  running  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Mississippi  up  the  river  about  three  hundred  miles.  Woodcocks 
resort  in  great  numbers  to  the  interminable  swamps  of  this  region, 
and,  according  to  Thorpe,  even  remain  in  these  solitudes  during 
the  spring,  and  summer  months,  to  breed  and  rear  their  young. 
It  is  perfectly  useless  for  the  sportsman  to  attempt  the  pursuit  of 
cocks  in  these  fastnesses,  overrun  as  they  are  with  deep  and  matted 
grass,  high  cane,  and  rank  vin^s.  Although  many  cocks  remain 
in  these  marshes  during  the  warm  weather,  still,  the  greater  num- 
ber of  them  go  off  to  the  North  for  the  purpose  of  incubation,  and, 
at  the  approach  of  winter,  return  with  increased  forces  to  pass  the 
cold  months  in  these  secure  and  favored  spots.  It  is  then  that  the 
"fire-hunting"  takes  place,  and  continues  during  the  months  of 
December,  January,  and  February.  Though  the  marshes  at  this 
time  are  crowded  with  these  quiet  and  secluded  birds,  it  is  almost 
impossible  for  the  shooter  to  get  a  sight  of  one  of  them;  and  this 
fact,  together  with  their  immense  numbers,  is  perhaps  a  palliation 
for  the  unsportsmanlike  practice  of  "fire-hunting." 

The  sport  is  carried  on  in  this  wise : — The  shooter,  armed  with  a 
double-barrelled  gun,  and  decked  with  a  broad-brimmed  palmetto 
hat,  sallies  forth  on  a  foggy  night  to  the  "ridge,"  where  the  cocks 
are  now  feeding  in  wonderful  numbers.  His  companion  on  these 
expeditions  is  generally  a  stout-built  negro,  bearing  before  him  a 
species  of  old-fashioned  warming-pan,  in  which  is  deposited  a  goodly 
supply  of  pine-knots.  Having  arrived  on  the  ground,  the  cocks 
are  soon  heard  whizzing  about  on  every  side ;  the  pine-knots  are 
quickly  kindled  into  a  flame,  and  carried  over  the  head  of  the  negro. 
The  shooter  keeps  as  much  as  possible  in  the  shade,  with  his  broad- 
brimmed  palmetto  protecting  his  eyes  from  the  glare,  and  follows 
close  after  the  torch-bearer,  who  walks  slowly  ahead.  The  cocks 
are  soon  seen  sitting  about  on  the  ground,  staring  wildly  around 
in  mute  astonishment,  not  knowing  what  to  do,  and  are  easily 
knocked  over  with  a  slight  pop  of  the  gun,  or  more  scientifically 
brought  to  the  ground  as  they  go  booming  off  to  the  marshes. 


THE    WOODCOCK.  189 

The  lurid  glare  of  the  torch  only  extends  to  a  distance  of  twenty 
yards  or  so  around  the  negro ;  the  sportsman  must,  therefore,  be 
on  the  qui  vive  to  knock  the  birds  over  as  soon  as  they  rise,  other- 
wise they  will  immediately  be  shrouded  in  the  impenetrable  dark- 
ness of  night. 

These  excursions  are  carried  on  with  great  spirit,  sometimes  con- 
tinue the  whole  night  through,  and  the  slaughter  of  cocks  is  often 
very  great;  with  an  experienced  "fire-hunter"  it  is  no  unusual 
occurrence  to  bag  in  this  way  fifty  couple  before  morning.  This 
plan  of  taking  woodcocks  is  very  similar  to  that  pursued  ages  ago 
by  the  fowlers  of  England,  and  is  termed  ^^bird-hatting.''  Instead 
of  the  gun,  they  made  use  of  nets  to  throw  over  the  birds,  and 
bludgeons  to  knock  them  down  whenever  a  favourable  opportunity 
presented  itself.  It  was  also  deemed  very  necessary  in  these 
''bird-battings''  for  the  torch-bearer  to  ring  a  loud  bell  without 
intermission,  as  its  sound  at  the  dead  hour  of  the  night  was  thought 
to  bewilder  or  stupefy  the  birds  to  such  an  extent  that  they  became 
transfixed  to  the  ground,  and  therefore  ofiered  an  easy  mark  for 
the  fowler.  If  the  ringing  of  the  bell  was  for  a  moment  discon- 
tinued, the  birds  were  very  apt  to  arouse  themselves  from  their 
lethargy,  fly  off,  and  consequently  frustrate  the  fowler's  designs. 


NETS   AND    SNARES. 

Formerly,  when  cocks  were  much  more  plentiful  in  England  than 
they  are  at  present,  multitudes  were  taken  in  glade  and  spring-nets, 
which  were  hung  in  the  moist  places  where  their  "marking  and 
meutings  were  observable."  These  birds  are  very  loath,  while 
feeding,  to  pass  over  any  obstruction  that  may  lie  in  their  way, 
but  would  rather  pursue  a  confined  and  tortuous  path  than  turn 


190  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

from  their  course  for  the  purpose  of  scrambling  over  the  slightest 
barrier  that  may  obstruct  their  progress. 

This  peculiarity  of  woodcocks  has  been  taken  advantage  of  by 
the  fowlers  and  poachers  of  England,  who  are  said  to  place  their 
nets  between  the  tufts  of  heath,  with  avenues  of  small  stones 
formed  on  each  side,  leading  up  to  them,  and  by  this  contrivance 
are  successful  in  taking  great  numbers.  They  are  also  captured 
by  these  gentry  by  means  of  horsehair  nooses,  set  about  in  their 
feeding-grounds,  similar  to  those  referred  to  when  speaking  of  the 
partridge. 

Woodcocks  are  quite  abundant  in  Ireland,  and  numbers  of  the 
English  nobles  resort  there  annually  to  shoot  them.  It  is  usual  to 
hunt  them  in  this  country  with  the  assistance  of  men  and  boys, 
termed  "springers,"  who  penetrate  into  the  thickets  and  woody 
glens,  hallooing  and  beating  the  bushes  on  every  side,  so  as  to 
flush  the  astonished  cocks  from  their  close  retreats.  The  sports- 
men, while  this  is  going  on,  move  about  in  the  clearings,  and  watch 
every  opportunity  to  knock  the  poor  birds  over  as  they  endeavor 
to  escape  from  one  cover  to  another. 

This  method  of  killing  cocks,  no  doubt,  is  quite  exciting,  but 
cannot  compare  with  the  regular  way  of  hunting  them  with  dogs, 
and  would  not  be  resorted  to  by  English  sportsmen  except  ex 
necessitate  rei. 

DOGS   FOR   COCK-SHOOTING. 

Cocks  lie  well  to  dogs,  and,  if  their  habits  of  life  did  not  force 
them  to  select  such  inaccessible  places  to  feed,  they  would  afford 
as  much  sport  as  partridges.  If  cocks  were  left  undisturbed  during 
the  summer  months,  and  not  hunted  till  October,  we  should  have 
plenty  of  them  at  this  agreeable  season,  and  certainly  in  much 
better  condition.  The  English  derive  much  more  pleasure  from 
cock-shooting  than  we  do  in  this  country,  as  the  whole  charm  of 
this  pastime  is  destroyed  with  us  by  the  barbarous  custom  of  shoot- 
ing the  old  ones  in  the  months  of  June  and  July,  when  sitting  on 
their  nests,  and  frightening  the  young  ones  to  death  by  the  roar 


THE    WOODCOCK.  191 

of  guns,  placed  in  the  hands  of  every  awkward  booby  that  can 
raise  sufficient  means  to  purchase  a  few  pounds  of  shot. 

Cock-shooting  in  England,  some  of  our  readers  will  be  surprised 
to  learn,  is  most  generally  pursued  with  the  aid  of  cocker  spaniels. 
We  are  content  to  hunt  them  with  our  setters  and  pointers,  many 
of  which  are  celebrated  for  their  skill  and  prowess  in  finding  this 
game.  It  is  particularly  necessary  that  dogs  used  for  cock-shoot- 
ing should  be  very  stanch,  and  not  over  eager,  otherwise  they  will 
soon  be  lost  to  view  in  the  coverts  and  brakes  which  these  birds  most 
generally  frequent,  and  flush  bird  after  bird  without  ever  being 
seen  or  corrected  for  it. 

As  for  attempting  to  shoot  woodcocks  to  half-broken  spaniels,  we 
should  consider  such  an  undertaking  too  laborious  and  tormenting 
to  venture  upon,  although,  with  good  cockers,  we  can  easily  imagine 
that  the  sport  must  be  much  more  spirited  and  enlivening  than 
when  pursued  with  setters  and  pointers.  Cockers,  from  their  size, 
are  much  better  adapted  by  nature  to  the  pursuit  of  this  game  than 
either  the  setter  or  the  pointer,  which  latter  cannot  insinuate  them- 
selves into  the  recesses  of  our  briery  coverts,  no  matter  how  well- 
disposed  for  the  sport  they  may  be,  but  are  forced  to  back  out  of 
such  impassable  places,  where  the  courageous  little  cocker  would 
glide  through  without  suffering  the  least  inconvenience  from  the 
thorns  and  briers. 

It  is  not  unusual,  in  England,  to  attach  small,  plaintive  bells  to 
the  collars  of  dogs  hunting  woodcocks,  so  that  their  exact  position 
may  be  known.  This  practice  is  a  very  good  one,  and,  w^hen  the 
covert  is  very  thick,  will  save  the  sportsman  much  hallooing  and 
whistling.  When  used  for  pointers  and  setters,  the  silence  of  the 
bell  will  announce  the  point  of  the  dog.  The  tinkling  of  the  bells, 
if  light  and  melodious,  will  not  disturb  the  birds,  but  rather  en- 
liven the  gloom  and  dulness  of  the  woody  glens,  and  add  new  spirit 
and  life  to  the  sport. 

The  bells  should  be  of  different  tones,  so  as  to  distinguish  the 
dogs  from  each  other.  We  are  satisfied  that  the  use  of  bells  could 
be  made  very  advantageous  in  partridge-shooting,  in  some  sections 


192 


lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


of  our  country,  more  particularly  early  in  the  season,  when  the 
coverts  are  so  very  thick.  We  would  recommend  to  those  having 
a  fancy  to  try  them,  to  put  a  small  ring  to  the  dog's  collar,  to 
which  they  might  attach  the  bell  by  means  of  a  spring-hook,  simi- 
lar to  those  now  so  generally  used  for  fastening  the  guard-chain  to 
the  vest  button-hole.  Arranged  in  this  way,  the  bell  can  be  re- 
moved or  put  on  at  a  moment's  notice,  according  to  circumstances. 

We  are  certainly  an  admirer  of  the  little  cocker  spaniel,  and 
would  advise  gentlemen,  more  particularly  those  residing  in  the 
country,  who  pursue  shooting  as  a  pastime,  and  not  for  the  mere 
wanton  gratification  of  bagging  large  quantities  of  game,  to  try 
their  hands  with  these  active  little  creatures,  as  we  are  sure  they 
will  be  delighted  with  their  boisterous  and  exciting  style  of  hunt- 
ing, giving  subdued  tongue  when  on  the  scent  of  game,  and  then 
bursting  forth  with  joyous  acclamations  when  the  bird  is  flushed 
and  on  the  wing.* 

If  the  reader  should  ever  be  so  fortunate  as  to  possess  a  cocker 
spaniel  to  whom  he  can,  in  good  faith,  address  the  following  four 
lines  of  an  epitapli,  he  may  consider  himself  thrice  fortunate 
indeed : — 

"Alike  the  woodcock's  dreary  haunt, 

Though  keen  to  find  amidst  the  shade, 
Ne'er  did  thy  tongue  redoubled  chant, 

But  mark  quick  echoed  through  the  glade." 


*  For  the  tuition  and  management  of  spaniels,  see  our  edition  of  Youatt  on  the 
Dog. 


e^^J 


THE    WOODCOCK. 


193 


MEMORANDA. 

1.  The  male  bird  is  mucli  smaller  than  the  female;  the  former 
usually  weighs  from  five  to  six  ounces,  the  latter  from  six  to  eight. 

2.  The  American  woodcock  is  much  smaller  than  the  English. 

3.  There  is  but  one  variety  of  woodcock  in  America. 

4.  Woodcocks  are  migratory,  and  extend  their  wanderings  from 
the  Canadas  even  as  far  south  as  Florida. 

5.  Their  food  consists  of  worms  and  larvae,  and  they  are  all 
voracious  feeders. 

6.  Woodcocks  breed  in  the  North,  and  commence  laying,  if  the 
weather  is  favorable,  even  as  early  as  February.  The  period  of 
incubation  is  about  three  weeks. 

7.  Woodcocks  moult  in  August  and  September,  and  at  this  time 
they  lie  very  close. 

8.  Woodcocks  frequent  moist  places,  and  are  seldom  met  with  in 
other  situations. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Wilson's,  or  English  snipe,    scolopax  wilsonii — scolopax 

gallinago. 

"  To-day  we  spring  the  snipe, 
And,  •with  an  eye  as  keen  as  does  the  bird 
Himself,  by  hnngers's  strongest  law  compell'd, 
Explore  each  shelter'd  drain  or  hollow  ditch." 


THEIR   DISTRIBUTION   OVER   THE   WORLD. 

HERE    is   no   game-bird   so  widely   dis- 
tributed  over    the   whole   world   as   the 
species  now  under  consideration.     They 
are  found  in  all  countries,  from  the  ex- 
treme points  of  Siberia  even  to  the  utter- 
most  limits    of  the    South.      The   West 
India   Islands,    as   well   as    Ceylon   and 
Japan,  are  annually  visited  by  this  little 
fowl,  while  the  rice-plantations  of  the  Carolinas  and  the  fertile 
meadows  of  Egypt  alike  swarm  with  their  multitudes.     So  nume- 
rous are  these  birds  in  the  rich  country  of  the  Pharaohs,  that  it  is 
194 


WILSON    S    SNIPE.  195 

no  unusual  thing,  after  the  harvest  of  rice,  to  sit  quietly  in  one  place 
and  shoot  a  large  basketful  of  them  in  the  course  of  a  few  hours. 
Snipes  are  equally  esteemed  in  all  parts  of  the  world  where  they 
are  known,  and  the  richness  and  delicacy  of  their  flesh  may  be 
considered  as  second  alone  to  that  of  the  woodcock;  we  need  not 
add,  therefore,  that  hunting  them  is  a  favorite  pastime  with  the 
American  sportsman. 

VARIETIES. 

There  are  several  game-varieties  of  snipes  known  in  the  Old 
World,  and  all  equally  sought  after  by  sportsmen ;  there  are  also 
many  species  in  our  own  country,  but  only  one  that  attracts  much 
attention  from  our  shooters.  In  Russia  there  is  a  large  snipe  which 
occasionally  wanders  as  far  as  England,  and  is  known  there,  we 
believe,  as  the  horseman's  snipe,  from  its  superior  size  and  fine 
appearance.  This  bird  afi*ords  much  sport  to  the  Russian  noblesse, 
as  well  as  a  savory  dish  for  their  tables.  The  double,  or  solitary 
snipe,  (Scolopax  major,)  although  quite  rare  in  England,  is  very 
common  in  Sweden ;  it  is  nearly  twice  as  large  as  the  common 
snipe,  and  ofiers  attractive  amusement  to  the  inhabitants  of  that 
country,  who  pursue  field-sports  with  as  great  zest  as  the  sports- 
men of  our  own  country.  The  Scolopax  gallinago,  or  English 
snipe  of  America,  is  closely  allied  to  the  common  snipe  of  the  Old 
World ;  it  resembles  it  in  plumage,  size,  and  habits ;  a  little  differ- 
ence, perhaps,  may  be  conceded  to  the  latter  variety  in  point  of 
weight.  The  observant  Wilson,  in  his  usual  style  of  close  investi- 
gation, discovered  a  very  marked  distinction  between  the  English 
and  American  bird;  and,  in  consideration  of  this  discovery,  Tem- 
minck  and  other  European  naturalists  have  very  justly  dedicated 
the  American  snipe  to  this  distinguished  ornithologist,  by  bestow- 
ing upon  it  the  title  of  Scolopax  Wilsonii,  or  Wilson's  snipe, — a 
compliment  not  less  deserved  than  generously  awarded.  Wilson 
states  that  the  American  snipe  has  the  same  soaring,  irregular 
flight  in  the  air,  during  gloomy  weather,  as  the  snipe  of  Europe ; 
the  same  bleating  note  and  occasional  rapid  descent ;  springs  from 


196  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

the  marshes  with  the  like  feeble  "squeak,"  and  in  every  respect 
resembles  the  common  snipe  of  Britain,  except  in  being  about  one 
inch  less,  and  in  having  sixteen  feathers  in  the  tail  instead  of  four- 
teen. Audubon,  however,  informs  us  that  the  notes  of  the  two 
varieties  are  quite  dissimilar, — in  fact,  as  different  from  each  other 
as  those  of  the  American  crow  and  the  carrion-crow  of  Europe, 
and  expresses  some  surprise  that  Wilson  should  not  have  men- 
tioned this  difference. 

Frank  Forrester,  on  the  other  hand,  observes  that  the  cry  of 
the  two  varieties  is  perfectly  identical^  and  in  this  statement  he 
further  remarks  that  he  is  corroborated  by  the  judgment  of  several 
English  sportsmen,  with  whom  he  has  frequently  shot. 

This  snipe  is  known  in  Britain  as  the  common  snipe,  suite,  or 
heather-bleater,  and  with  us  is  called  English  snipe,  or  Wilson's 
snipe.  In  Louisiana,  the  Creoles  term  it  cache-cache^  the  deriva- 
tion of  which,  we  imagine,  arose  from  the  well-known  retired  or 
lurking  habits  of  the  bird. 

"  The  snipe  is  eleven  inches  long,  seventeen  inches  in  extent ; 
the  bill  over  two  inches  and  a  half  long,  fluted  lengthwise ;  brown 
color ;  black  towards  the  tip,  crown  black,  divided  by  an  irregular 
line  of  pale  brown ;  another  broader  one  of  the  same  tint  passes 
over  each  eye ;  from  the  bill  to  the  eye  there  is  a  narrow  dusky 
line ;  neck  and  upper  part  of  the  breast  pale  brown,  variegated 
with  touches  of  white  and  dusky:  chin  pale;  back  and  scapulars 
deep  velvety  black,  the  latter  elegantly  marbled  with  waving  lines 
of  ferruginous,  and  broadly  edged  exteriorly  with  white;  wings 
plain  dusky,  all  the  feathers,  as  well  as  those  of  the  coverts, 
tipped  with  white ;  shoulder  of  the  wing  deep  dusky-brown,  exterior 
quill  edged  with  white ;  tail-coverts  long,  reaching  within  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  of  the  tip,  and  of  a  pale  rust-color,  spotted 
with  black ;  tail  rounded,  deep  black,  ending  in  a  bright  ferru- 
ginous bar,  crossed  with  a  narrow  waving  line  of  black,  and  tipped 
with  whitish;  belly  pure  white;  sides  barred  with  dusky  lines; 
legs  and  feet  a  very  pale  ashy-green ;  sometimes  the  whole  thighs 
and  sides  of  the  vent  are  barred  with  dusky  and  white.     The 


WILSON'S    SNIPE.  197 

female  differs  in  being  more  obscure  in  her  colors ;  the  white  on 
the  back  being  less  pure,  and  the  black  not  so  deep." 

THEIR   LOCATION  AND   FOOD. 

The  snipes  of  America  spend  the  winter  in  the  Southern  States, 
resorting  to  the  ricefields  of  the  Carolinas,  where  they  often  con- 
gregate in  immense  numbers,  and  are  said  to  be  quite  tame  com- 
pared with  what  they  are  when  they  stop  with  us  at  the  North  on 
their  way  to  more  elevated  districts  for  the  purpose  of  breeding. 
Audubon  states  that  in  the  South  he  has  seen  them  In  fifties  and 
hundreds  in  small  fields  of  a  few  acres  in  extent.  They  are  also 
numerous  in  the  wet  swamps  of  Florida  during  the  winter  season, 
but  move  off  at  the  first  approach  of  spring,  tarrying  on  their  way 
to  the  North,  for  a  few  days,  in  the  various  sections  of  country 
which  they  pass  through.  They  arrive  in  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey, 
and  Delaware,  in  the  month  of  March,  according  to  the  state  of 
the  weather,  but  are  not  often  abundant  till  the  following  month 
of  April. 

Like  most  other  migratory  birds,  they  are  quite  poor  when  they 
first  arrive  among  us,  but  soon  become  extremely  fat  from  feast- 
ing upon  the  profusion  of  animal  as  well  as  vegetable  food  that 
they  find  scattered  over  the  extensive  marshes  of  these  States. 
Their  nourishment  consists  principally  of  worms  and  larvae,  which, 
like  the  woodcock,  they  extract  from  the  rich,  loamy  soil  by  boring 
into  it  with  their  long  and  slender  bills.  It  was  formerly  very 
generally  believed  by  sportsmen,  and  others  who  pretended  to  a 
knowledge  of  such  matters,  that  snipes,  as  well  as  woodcocks, 
supported  themselves  by  suction.  This,  of  course,  is  as  erroneous 
in  the  one  case  as  in  the  other.  These  birds  also  partake  of  the 
tender  roots  of  aquatic  plants,  and  in  captivity  will  feed  greedily 
upon  corn-meal  and  worms,  and  after  a  few  trials  will  also  learn  to 
relish  bread  and  milk. 

In  the  spring  season  the  snipe  performs  some  very  singular 
manoeuvres,  not  very  unlike  those  that  are  noticed  in  the  wood- 
cock during  the  period  of  incubation.     If  the  sportsman  should, 


198  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

at  early  dawn,  or  even  at  mid-day,  visit  the  low  meadows  fre- 
quented by  these  birds,  he  will  probably  see  one  or  both  of  a  pair 
mounting  high  in  the  air  in  a  spiral  manner,  beating  their  wings 
or  sailing  around  in  rapid  circles,  until  they  have  gained  a  hundred 
yards  or  more  in  height;  then,  clasping  each  other,  they  whirl 
around,  flapping  their  wings  with  great  velocity,  and  then,  drop- 
ping in  mid-air,  give  utterance  to  a  low  twittering  or  rather  roll- 
ing sound,  supposed  to  be  produced  by  the  action  of  the  wings 
upon  the  air  in  their  rapid  descent.  We  have  seen  them  perform 
this  manoeuvre  more  than  once,  but  at  no  other  period  of  the  year 
than  the  spring. 

Towards  the  close  of  April,  if  the  weather  continues  warm, 
snipes  desert  the  oozy  marshes  of  Delaware  and  New  Jersey  and 
commence  moving  farther  north,  where  they  spread  themselves 
throughout  the  interior  of  the  upland  countries  for  the  purpose  of 
breeding  and  rearing  their  young.  They  are  most  generally 
mated  when  they  take  leave  of  these  parts.  Like  other  nomadic 
birds,  a  few  of  them,  owing  to  one  peculiar  circumstance  or  an- 
other, remain  with  us  in  the  low  marshy  fallows  during  the  whole 
summer,  and  even  hatch  and  rear  their  young  broods.  It  is  no 
very  uncommon  circumstance  for  our  shooters  to  kill  an  occasional 
young  snipe,  as  well  as  old  ones,  when  in  pursuit  of  cocks  in  the 
months  of  July  and  August. 

In  the  month  of  May,  1846,  while  wandering  in  company  with 
Mr.  E.  Lewis  over  his  extensive  estate  in  Maryland,  we  sprang  a 
Wilson's  snipe  from  the  midst  of  an  oatfield,  and,  being  surprised 
as  well  as  attracted  by  its  singular  manoeuvres,  we  made  search  for 
its  nest,  which  we  soon  found,  with  four  eggs  in  it.  The  situation 
selected  for  incubation  could  not  have  been  better  chosen  in  any 
portion  of  country,  as  it  was  on  a  rising  piece  of  ground,  with  a 
southern  exposure,  and  protected  in  the  rear  by  a  large  wood,  and 
at  the  foot  of  this  high  ground  was  a  considerable  extent  of  low 
marsh-meadow,  watered  by  a  never-failing  stream,  along  the 
borders  of  which  the  anxious  parents  at  any  time  could  obtain  a 
bountiful  supply  of  food. 


WILSON'S    SNIPE.  199 


PERIOD   OF   INCUBATION. 


In  the  State  of  Maine  and  other  portions  of  the  country  far 
north,  snipes  are  very  numerous  during  the  summer  months. 
They  are  also  abundant  in  the  Canadas  and  Nova  Scotia,  but  are 
not  known  in  Newfoundland  or  Labrador.  In  these  northern 
latitudes,  snipes  inhabit  the  marshy  portions  of  the  hilly  districts, 
as  the  spots  most  secure  and  favorable  for  incubation.  The  nest  is 
constructed  in  a  most  simple  manner, — ^being,  in  fact,  nothing  more 
than  a  hollow  made  in  the  moss  or  grass,  lined,  perhaps,  with  a 
few  feathers.  The  brood  generally  consists  of  four,  and,  like  the 
young  of  the  woodcock,  are  capable  of  motion  as  soon  as  sprung 
from  the  eggs.  At  this  tender  age,  owing  to  the  softness  and 
delicacy  of  their  bills,  the  young  snipes  are  unable  to  probe  the 
slimy  bogs  for  worms,  and  therefore  are  forced  to  content  them- 
selves with  collecting  the  larvae,  small  insects,  and  snails,  that  are 
found  on  the  surface  or  hid  away  in  the  grass  or  moss.  At  the 
expiration,  however,  of  a  few  weeks,  they  are  sufficiently  strong, 
and  their  bills  quite  hard  enough,  to  penetrate  into  the  moist 
grounds  in  search  of  more  savory  food. 


RETURN  TO   THE   SOUTH. 


Snipes  commence  returning  to  the  South  in  the  month  of  Sep- 
tember, accompanied  by  their  young,  and  of  course  stop  for  a 
while  in  all  their  old  haunts  along  the  route.     They  remain  during 


200  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

several  weeks  in  New  Jersey  and  Delaware,  and  get  very  fat  wliile 
feeding  on  the  marshes.  Although  they  most  frequently  appear 
very  suddenly  and  in  large  numbers  in  certain  localities,  they  are 
not  gregarious,  but  perform  their  migrations  singly,  or  in  very 
small  wisps,  seldom  exceeding  four  or  five. 

The  flight  of  the  snipe,  even  when  going  to  a  considerable 
distance,  is  very  irregular  and  devious;  they  must,  however,  fly 
with  rapidity,  as  they  spread  themselves  over  so  wide  an  extent  of 
country  in  so  short  a  space  of  time. 

Snipes  are,  without  doubt,  very  fickle  and  uncertain  in  their 
movements,  resorting  in  great  abundance  to  certain  spots  on  one 
day,  and  entirely  abandoning  them  on  the  following,  without  any 
apparent  cause,  save  perhaps  a  trifling  change  in  the  wind  or 
weather.  They  seem  to  possess  a  restless  spirit,  which  impels 
them  to  seek  on  one  day  the  high  and  open  grounds,  and  on  the 
next  the  low  and  sheltered  marshes.  The  presence  of  a  slight  and 
almost  imperceptible  frost,  or  the  springing  up  of  a  northeasterly 
wind  during  the  night,  influences  the  wanderings  of  these  birds  at 
early  dawn ;  and  their  sudden  appearance  at  or  absence  from  cer- 
tain localities  is  often  a  source  of  astonishment  to  the  shooter,  who, 
luxuriating  on  his  downy  couch,  dreams  of  the  morrow's  sport, 
little  heeding  the  insidious  mutation  in  the  elements  that  drives 
the  sensitive  snipe  from  the  favored  feeding-grounds  of  the  pre- 
vious day,  and  thus  frustrates  all  his  bright  anticipations. 

The  snipe  family  in  general  has  very  justly  been  pronounced  the 
most  meteorological  of  all  birds,  for  their  appreciation  of  atmo- 
spheric changes  is  certainly  very  remarkable,  and  far  beyond 
that  of  any  other  of  the  feathered  tribe.  Their  perception  of  cold 
or  moisture  must  be  exquisitely  nice,  far  beyond  any  thing  which 
we  can  form  an  idea  of,  as  their  abrupt  shiftings  from  place  to  place 
are  governed,  we  presume,  in  many  instances,  by  the  variations  in 
temperature  which  are  scarcely  discernible  to  the  sportsman.  For 
we  cannot  attribute  these  sudden  rovings  on  their  part  to  any 
other  cause  than  those  alterations  in  the  atmosphere,  unless  we 
believe  that  they  are  solely  the  result  of  a  capricious  disposition, 


WILSON'S    SNIPE.  201 

which  oftentimes  induces  them  to  abandon  the  very  best  of  feed- 
ing-grounds to  go  in  quest  of  like  spots  elsewhere ;  and  this  to  us 
appears  a  very  unnatural  as  well  as  untenable  supposition. 

Snipes,  like  woodcocks,  are  most  voracious  feeders,  and  require 
an  immensity  of  food,  and  consequently  are  obliged  to  shift  their 
ground  much  more  frequently  than  many  other  kinds  of  birds. 
This  circumstance  alone  is  quite  sufficient  in  most  cases  not  abso- 
lutely dependent  upon  the  weather  to  account  for  their  erratic 
propensities.  When  feeding  in  situations  where  there  is  a  plenti- 
ful supply  of  food,  it  is  often  a  very  difficult  task  even  for  the 
most  zealous  sportsman  to  drive  them  off;  and  we  have  more  than 
once  been  quite  surprised  at  their  apparent  tameness,  as  indicated 
by  their  short  flights  after  repeated  harassing  over  some  one  of 
these  favored  feeding-grounds. 

In  all  their  peripatetic  vagaries  snipes  are  seldom  or  never  found 
in  the  woods,  but  delight  in  the  low,  wet  meadow-lands,  or  along  the 
margins  of  the  secluded  streams  which  are  so  numerous  through- 
out our  country ;  they  may  occasionally  be  found  in  the  cornfields, 
more  particularly  if  the  weather  is  rainy,  as  well  as  in  the  thin 
woods  and  even  briery  thickets,  but  they  do  not  frequent  these 
situations  except  under  peculiar  conditions  of  the  atmosphere. 

DIFFICULT   TO   BE   SHOT. 

The  flight  of  the  snipe,  together  with  its  shyness  during  its 
sojourn  at  the  North,  and  the  disagreeable  nature  of  the  ground 
that  it  alone  frequents,  renders  it  the  most  difficult  as  well  as  the 
most  fatiguing  and  vexatious  of  birds  to  hunt.  When  sprung,  it 
takes  wing  very  hastily,  and  flies  off"  in  rapid  zigzag  lines  for  a 
few  paces,  in  such  a  confused,  irregular,  and  tortuous  course  that 
it  is  almost  impossible  even  for  a  snap-shot,  during  this  time,  to 
cover  the  bird  for  an  instant  while  performing  these  elliptical 
gyrations. 

Snipe-shooting,  not  only  in  England  but  also  in  our  own  coun- 
try, may  very  justly  be  pronounced  the  "crux  jaculatorum"  of 
sportsmen,  as  there  is  no  game  which  requires  more  skill  and  judg- 


202  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

ment  in  bringing  to  bag,  or  demands  a  greater  share  of  labor  and 
perseverance  to  follow.  A  sporting  writer — no  great  admirer  of 
this  diversion,  however,  we  imagine — remarks  that  "snipe-shooting 
is  a  pastime  the  best  calculated  (grousing  excepted)  to  try  the 
keenness  of  the  sportsman,  to  ascertain  his  bottom,  and  if  he  can 
stand  labor,  water,  mire,  swamps,  and  bogs.  He  should  be  pos- 
sessed of  a  strong  constitution,  not  liable  to  catch  cold,  and  have 
all  the  fortitude  as  well  as  exertion  of  a  water-spaniel ;  he  should 
be  habitually  inured  to  wet,  dirt,  and  difficulties,  and  not  be  de- 
terred by  cold  or  severe  weather." 

This  statement,  although  a  little  overdrawn,  is  not  far  wide  of 
the  real  truth,  as  every  snipe-shooter  knows  full  well;  and,  when 
entering  on  the  sport,  each  one  should  be  willing  to  repeat  within 
himself,  Audax  omnia  perpeti.  Notwithstanding  the  numerous  ills 
attendant  on  this  recreation,  it  has  many  ardent  admirers,  who,  in 
spite  of  wind  and  weather,  cold  and  rain,  mud  and  mire,  are  at  each 
succeeding  spring  and  autumn  found  ready  at  their  posts,  all 
eagerness  to  commence  the  fray ;  and,  at  the  close  of  every  season, 
each  one  has  a  long  list  of  adventures  to  relate,  not,  perhaps, 

"Of  moving  accidents  by  flood  and  field, 
Of  hairbreadth  'scapes  i'  the  imminent  deadly  breach," 

but  of  many  mishaps  and  hardships  encountered  during  the 
campaign  on  the  filthy  marshes,  the  most  of  which,  though  griev- 
ous at  the  time,  in  reality  added  zest  to  the  diversion,  and  will  ever 
remain  imprinted  on  the  memory  of  the  true  sportsman  as  agreeable 
souvenirs  by  which  to  recall  the  scenes  of  much  past  enjoyment. 


WILSON'S    SNIPE.  203 


DIFFERENT   PLANS   FOR   SHOOTING   SNIPES. 

"  Next  for  the  snipe  you  must  prepare : 
He  darts  like  lightning  through  the  air, 
With  devious  wing ;  a  moment  wait, 
You'll  see  the  rover  travel  straight." 

There  are  many  ways  in  vogue  for  overcoming  the  exaggerated 
difficulties  attending  the  shooting  of  snipes ;  in  fact,  every  sports- 
man has  some  particular  rule  of  his  own  to  guide  him,  and  recom- 
mends it  in  the  strongest  terms  to  every  tyro  panting  to  reach  that 
desirable  goal,  "a  good  snipe  shot."  However,  laying  all  means 
and  modes  aside,  every  one  is  well  satisfied  if  he  reaches  home  at 
the  close  of  a  long  day's  tramp  with  a  few  couples  of  these  wary 
birds.  When,  however,  snipes  are  very  abundant  on  our  marshes 
and  the  weather  favorable  for  shooting,  it  is  no  unusual  thing  for 
an  experienced  shot  to  retire  from  the  field  with  fifteen  or  even 
twenty  couples  of  them. 

All  the  various  systems  for  bagging  snipes  may  be  reduced  to 
the  two  following  plans: — "snap-shooting"  and  "deliberate  shoot- 
ing;" both  diametrically  opposed  to  each  other  in  practice  and 
theory,  but  the  same  in  their  results,  as  either  will  be  found  to 
answer  equally  well  in  the  present  case.  The  snap-shot  kills  the 
bird  as  soon  as  sprung,  and  before  he  enters  upon  the  zigzag 
course  previously  described ;  the  deliberate  shot  poises  his  weapon, 
and  coolly  waits  till  these  perplexing  meanderings  are  at  an  end, 
and  then  pulls  the  trigger  upon  his  victim  with  a  certainty  of 
fetching  him  to  the  ground.  The  irregular  flight  of  the  snipe  is 
discontinued  if  the  bird  be  allowed  to  pursue  its  course  for  a  short 
distance,  and  its  motion  becomes  uniform  and  steady  long  before 
it  is  out  of  reach  of  the  gun,  as  it  is  very  easily  killed,  requiring 
but  a  shot  or  two  to  bring  it  down. 

The  following  anecdote,  just  met  with  in  the  columns  of  the  racy 
'^Spirit,"  is  rather  amusing: — 

"It  is  known  to  all  snipe-shooters  that  when  the  bird  rises  he 
makes  a  kind  of  screaming  noise,  something  resembling  the  sound 
of  the  word  escape.     A  noted  shot  of  our  acquaintance  invariably 


204  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

exclaims,  before  pulling  the  trigger,  'I'll  be  d — d  if  you  do!' 
giving  as  a  reason  that  it  affords  him  time  to  take  his  aim  coolly 
and  collectedly.  The  plan  appears  to  succeed  with  him,  for  a 
snipe  rarely  escapes  from  his  merciless  barrel." 

The  curious  twisting  flight  of  the  snipe,  when  suddenly  come 
upon,  is  not  altogether  natural  to  the  bird,  but  is  rather  the  result 
of  circumstances,  and  has  very  justly  been  attributed  to  fright  and 
the  great  anxiety  of  the  bird  to  make  off;  and  perhaps  their  indis- 
tinct vision  in  the  glare  of  the  day  also  renders  their  course,  as  it 
were,  undetermined  and  contorted. 

*'  Whene'er  you  beat  for  snipes,  implore 
Old  -^olus  o'er  marsh  and  moor 
Boldly  to  breathe  ;  yet  always  mind 
You  turn  your  back  upon  the  wind." 

Snipes  almost  invariably  fly  against  the  wind :  it  will  therefore 
be  important  for  the  shooter  to  have  the  wind  at  his  back ;  for  by 
this  arrangement  the  bird  presents  a  much  better  mark  when 
coming  towards  him,  and  he  is  also  in  the  proper  position  to  take 
advantage  of  all  the  cross  shots.  These  birds  lie  better  in  windy 
weather  than  at  any  other  time;  but  are  more  difficult  to  shoot, 
perhaps,  when  on  the  wing,  as  they  fly  much  farther  and  swifter 
than  if  the  day  be  warm  and  mild,  when  their  flight  is  short  and 
easy. 

This  latter  assertion  seems  rather  strange,  too, — that  they  should 
fly  "farther  and  swifter  on  a  windy  day  than  on  a  mild  one  ;"  for, 
considering  that  they  always  proceed  directly  against  the  wind,  it 
would  be  very  natural  for  us  to  infer  that,  in  consequence  of  this 
singular  habit,  their  flight  ought  to  be  proportionably  shorter, 
slower,  and  more  labored,  owing  to  the  powerful  resistance  offered 
by  a  stiff  breeze;  such,  however,  is  not  the  case,  as  every  snipe- 
shooter  knows. 

If,  however,  snipes  have  been  much  hunted  after,  and  are  wild, 
they  make  long  flights  even  in  the  calmest  and  clearest  weather ; 
and  are,  as  said  before,  very  difficult  to  be  got  at,  in  consequence 
of  this  very  "calm  and  clearness  of  the  atmosphere,"  as  they  pos- 


WILSON'S    SNIPE.  205 

sess  very  acute  organs  of  hearing,  and  take  wing  at  the  slightest 
noise  which  is  "wafted  gently  o'er  the  moor,"  from  all  quarters 
and  from  very  great  distances ;  and  when  one  rises,  if  in  wisps  of 
two,  three,  or  more,  the  alarm  most  usually  becomes  general,  and 
the  example  is  followed  by  all  the  others  in  quick  succession. 

Notwithstanding  these  birds  are,  perhaps,  more  difficult  to  be 
killed  on  a  windy  day  than  a  mild  one,  there  are  but  few  snipe- 
shooters  that  would  not  prefer  a  moderately  blustering  day  to  a 
calm  one,  as  the  points  in  favor  of  the  former  certainly  overbalance 
all  that  can  be  said  of  the  latter  condition  of  the  elements,  and 
that  very  considerably.  In  this  opinion  we  presume  that  we  are 
sustained  by  nearly  all  our  sporting  friends ;  however,  there  are 
some  of  our  acquaintances — one  at  least,  and,  what  is  more  sur- 
prising, a  very  acute  observer,  too,  of  all  things  in  general,  and 
more  particularly  of  every  thing  appertaining  to  the  sports  of  the 
field — who  will,  at  times,  contend  for  the  opposite,  and  strive  most 
pertinaciously  to  support  this  erroneous  opinion,  in  spite  of  all  the 
powerful  arguments  brought  to  bear  against  it  by  men  not  his 
inferiors  in  any  point  of  view  as  sportsmen. 

The  only  argument  worth  alluding  to — and  which,  in  fact,  is  not 
an  argument,  but  merely  a  position  or  assertion  that  these  advo- 
cates of  calm  weather  adduce  in  support  of  their  opinion — is  the 
fact  "of  the  shooter  so  frequently  overwalking  the  birds  on  a 
windy  day,  and  seeing  them  get  up  far  behind  him  after  he  has 
passed  over  the  places  where  he  expected  to  find  them."  This 
circumstance,  however,  is  not  owing  to  the  state  of  the  atmosphere, 
but  is  rather  the  consequence  of  his  own  ignorance  and  bad  manage- 
ment in  not  quartering  the  ground  properly,  which  is  of  the  utmost 
importance  in  snipe-shooting,  when  pursued  without  the  assistance 
of  a  dog.  When  we  say  that  the  sportsman  must  hunt  down  wind, 
we  do  not  mean  that  he  should  walk  directly  with  the  wind  on  his 
back,  but  rather  that  he  should  proceed  in  an  oblique  course,  so  as 
to  quarter  the  ground  in  such  a  manner  as  to  travel  within  hearing- 
distance  of  every  snipe  which  may  be  feeding  around.  By  follow- 
ing this  plan,  the  birds  rise  on  a  windy  day  within  ten,  fifteen,  or 


206  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

twenty  feet,  as  the  case  may  be,  circle  about  for  an  instant,  and 
then  make  invariably  towards  you  or  by  you,  and  thus  present  the 
very  best  shot  that  could  be  desired. 

When  raining,  snipes  are  very  uneasy,  wild,  and  difficult  of 
approach. 

Snipes  always  lie  better  in  the  autumn  than  they  do  in  the 
spring,  as  they  are  far  more  restless,  and  even  shy,  at  this  latter 
season  than  they  are  when  they  return  from  the  North,  accom- 
panied by  the  young  birds,  which  necessarily  are  far  less  cautious 
and  timid  than  the  old  ones,  and  require  more  quiet  to  recruit 
themselves  after  long  flights. 

DOGS   FOR   SNIPE-SHOOTING. 

There  are  few  dogs  which  we  have  ever  had  the  good  fortune  to 
meet  with  that  can  be  employed  with  much  success  in  snipe-shoot- 
ing ;  and,  when  the  birds  are  abundant,  most  of  our  shooters  prefer 
going  to  the  field  alone.  However,  when  there  is  sufficient  cover 
on  the  marshes,  and  the  dog  is  accustomed  to  his  game,  snipes  will 
frequently  lie  well,  and  suffer  a  cunning  animal  to  approach  within 
a  few  feet  of  them. 

The  dog,  however,  must  be  very  careful,  and  not  too  fast ;  other- 
wise he  will  overrun  his  game,  and  do  much  more  harm  than  good. 
The  English,  or  rather  Wilson's  snipe,  as  every  one  should  call  it, 
gives  forth  a  strong  game  effluvium ;  and  it  is  no  uncommon  circum- 
stance for  a  careful  dog  to  draw  upon  one  at  a  distance  of  twenty, 
thirty,  or  even  sixty  feet.  When  the  birds  are  very  numerous  and 
somewhat  confined,  owing  to  the  locality  and  small  extent  of  their 
feeding-grounds,  we  would  advise  a  persevering  shooter  to  leave 
his  four-footed  companion  at  home,  provided  he  is  willing  to  travel 
backward  and  forward  over  the  cover  and  get  all  the  birds  up  him- 
self; for  by  so  doing  he  will  have  a  fairer  chance  to  bag  them  than 
if  he  had  the  best  dog  in  the  world ;  such,  at  all  events,  has  been 
our  experience. 

A  snipe  dog  should  be  stanch,  and  had  better  be  too  old  than 
too  young,  as  hunting  young  dogs  on  these  birds  is  very  likely  to 


WILSON   S     SNIPE.  207 

prove  injurious  to  them,  having  a  tendency  to  make  them  slow, 
and  perhaps  lazy,  as  they  find  the  birds  so  easy  and  the  points 
succeed  each  other  so  fast  that  they  are  unwilling  thereafter  to 
put  themselves  to  any  great  deal  of  trouble  to  find  other  game, 
which  will  generally  prove  much  more  difficult  to  be  got  at.  If 
you  must,  however,  take  a  canine  friend  along  with  you, — and  there 
are,  we  know,  some  shooters  who  cannot  stir  on  an  occasion  of  any 
kind  without  two  or  more  of  these  favorites, — please  recollect  that 
one,  at  all  events,  is  quite  sufficient.  We  have  seldom  found  dogs 
of  much  account  in  snipe-shooting — perhaps  because  we  never  had 
a  particularly  good  one  for  this  sport — except  a  first-chop  retriever ; 
and  he  can  make  himself  very  useful,  provided  he  be  intelligent 
and  well  trained  to  cross  the  ditches  and  bring  his  bird  without 
coaxing  or  scolding. 

As  snipes  invariably  fly  against  the  wind,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  go 
around  the  dog  when  on  a  point,  and,  by  thus  facing  him,  we  may 
get  a  much  better  shot  when  the  bird  rises.  It  is  hardly  necessary 
for  us  to  add  that  you  should  look  out  for  your  dog,  otherwise  you 
may  shoot  him ;  such  accidents  have  occurred,  and  may  happen  again. 

To  prove  more  forcibly  this  assertion  in  reference  to  the  danger 
apprehended  from  shooting  our  dogs  in  the  field,  it  may  not  be 
amiss  to  mention  that  we  have  just  this  moment  received  the  sad  in- 
telligence of  the  accidental*  death  of  a  favorite  pointer  dog  which  we 
presented  as  a  mark  of  regard  to  a  sporting  friend,  whom  we  know 
to  be  scrupulously  particular  in  the  handling  of  his  gun,  but  never- 
theless not  sufficiently  cautious  in  this  one  instance  to  bring  upon 
himself  the  reproach  of  having,  I  may  say,  carelessly  taken  the  life 
of  a  good  and  faithful  animal.  In  his  letter  to  us,  commenting 
upon  the  painful  mishap,  this  gentleman  very  feelingly  remarks : — 
"Birds  were  very  plenty,  but  after  the  sad  accident  I  felt  no  dis- 
position to  shoot,  and  consequently  killed  but  two,  missed  one,  and 
retired  quite  dispirited  from  the  field,  as  well  as  mortified  and  dis- 
tressed at  this  my  first  and  only  misadventure  with  a  gun." 

If,  therefore,  this  careful  and  very  watchful  sportsman  could 
accidentally  shoot  this  dog, — for  it  was  an  accident,  and  we  may 


208  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

saj,  without  any  intention  of  being  censorious,  a  heedless  accident ; 
at  all  events  an  accident  that  should  not  have  occurred, — how  much 
more  does  it  behoove  all  young  sportsmen  to  look  to  their  dogs 
when  in  the  field,  and  never  endanger  their  lives  by  any  species 
of  negligence  whatever;  in  fact,  should  never  hold  their  weapons 
so  that  they  can  come  in  range  with  them  ! 

ADVANTAGES   OF   SNIPE-SHOOTINa :    "DULCIUS   EX  ASPERIS." 

Notwithstanding  the  mud  and  mire,  trouble  and  vexation,  we 
consider  snipe-shooting  a  most  pleasant  diversion,  more  especially 
on  account  of  the  great  number  of  shots  to  be  had  in  the  course 
of  a  day,  as  well  as  their  rapid  succession ;  and  we  are  acquainted 
with  no  kind  of  sport  that  so  rapidly  improves  an  indifferent  shot 
as  this  does.  So  much  quickness,  and  at  the  same  time  so  much 
judgment,  are  so  absolutely  necessary  to  hit  upon  the  exact  mo- 
ment for  drawing  upon  the  trigger,  that  the  tyro,  with  a  little 
practice,  will  soon  have  complete  control  over  all  his  movements ; 
and  it  is  also  necessary  for  him  to  be  ever  on  the  qui  vive,  as 
nearly  every  bird  that  springs  presents  a  different  shot. 

WHITE    SNIPE. 

Mr.  Copple,  an  old  shooter,  showed  us,  a  few  days  since,  a  very 
beautiful  specimen  of  a  pied  or  white  snipe  that  he  had  shot  the 
day  previous  in  New  Jersey.  This  is  the  first  and  only  specimen 
we  have  heard  of.  It  has  been  mounted,  and  we  believe  is  now 
in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Stirley. 


WILSON'S    SNIPE.  209 

MEMORANDA. 

1.  Snipes  are  widely  distributed  over  the  world,  and  are  equally 
esteemed  in  all  parts  for  their  game  qualities. 

2.  To  Wilson  belongs  the  honor  of  describing  a  marked  distinc- 
tion between  the  American  and  English  variety. 

3.  The  snipe  is  a  migratory  bird,  breeding  in  the  elevated 
districts  of  our  Northern  States,  as  well  as  Canada. 

4.  They  arrive  in  Pennsylvania  about  the  middle  of  March,  and 
soon  become  fat. 

5.  Their  food  consists  of  worms,  insects,  larvae,  and  the  tender 
roots  of  aquatic  plants. 

6.  Snipes  move  farther  north  towards  the  close  of  April. 

7.  The  young  brood  generally  consists  of  four. 

8.  Snipes  almost  invariably  fly  against  the  wind;  therefore 
hunt  them  with  the  wind  on  your  back. 

9.  Old  and  slow  dogs  are  most  suitable  for  this  sport  when  the 
birds  are  plenty ;  when  scarce,  a  fast  but  cautious,  as  well  as  ex- 
perienced, dog  is  most  serviceable.  Young  and  heedless  animals 
are  far  better  at  home  under  either  contingency. 

10.  Snipes  fly  in  "wisps,"  and  not  in  flocks;  therefore  say  a 
"  wisp  of  snipes,"  and  not  a  flock. 


14 


CHAPTER   XIL 


REED-BIRD,    OR   RICE   BUNTING.      EMBERIZA   ORYZIVORA. 


THEIR   HISTORY   AND   NOMENCLATURE. 

HIS  delicate   little   bird  is  well   known 
througliout    the    whole    extent    of    our 
country,  and  is  also  a  winter  visitant  to 
the  West  India  Islands.    In  no  quarter 
of  its  rambles,  however,  is  its  coming 
hailed  with   more    delight   than   in  the 
neighborhood   of  Philadelphia.     In  the 
Eastern  and  Northern  States  it  is  called 
hoholinh^  from  the  peculiar  note  which  it 
almost  incessantly  emits,  whether  it  be 
flying,  or  perched  upon  the  tops  of  the  bending  reeds.     In  Penn- 
sylvania they  are  known  only  as  reed-birds ;  in  Carolina  they  are 
styled  rice-buntings  ;   and  in  Louisiana,  meadow-birds. 

''  The  rice-bunting  is  seven  inches  and  a  half  long,  and  eleven 
210 


THE    REED-BIRD.  211 

and  a  half  in  extent.  His  spring  dress  is  as  follows : — upper  part 
of  the  head,  wings,  tail,  and  sides  of  the  neck,  and  whole  lower 
parts,  black ;  the  feathers  frequently  skirted  with  brownish-yellow, 
as  he  passes  into  the  colors  of  the  female ;  back  of  the  head  a 
cream-color  ;  back  black,  seamed  with  brownish-yellow ;  scapulars 
pure  white;  rump  and  tail-coverts  the  same;  lower  parts  of  the 
back  bluish-white ;  tail  formed  like  those  of  the  woodpecker  genus, 
and  often  used  in  the  same  manner,  being  thrown  in  to  support  it 
while  ascending  the  stalks  of  the  reed :  this  habit  of  throwing  in 
the  tail  it  retains  even  in  the  cage ;  legs  a  brownish  flesh-color ; 
eye  hazel.  In  the  month  of  June  this  plumage  gradually  changes 
to  a  brownish-yellow ;  bill  reddish  color ;  legs  and  eyes  as  in  the 
male.  The  young  birds  retain  the  dress  of  the  female  until  the 
early  part  of  the  succeeding  spring ;  the  plumage  of  the  female 
undergoes  no  material  change  of  color." 

THEIR   MIGRATIONS. 

The  reed-bird  breeds  and  spends  the  larger  portion  of  the  sum- 
mer months  in  the  Northern  States,  extending  its  peregrinationa 
in  this  direction  as  far  as  Lake  Ontario  and  the  river  St.  Law- 
rence. Their  nests  are  built  upon  the  ground,  usually  in  a  field  of 
grass,  wheat,  or  barley,  and  contain  from  four  to  six  eggs,  of  a 
bluish-white  color,  irregularly  spotted.  They  raise  but  one  brood 
in  a  season,  and,  as  soon  as  the  young  are  able  to  leave  the  nests, 
they  associate  with  other  broods,  and  thus  in  a  short  time  form 
large  families,  which  are  seen  making  their  way  over  the  country 
from  all  quarters  towards  the  banks  of  the  streams  and  large 
rivers,  where  they  feed  upon  the  reeds  or  plunder  the  grainfields 
of  our  farmers.  Although  so  very  small  and  insignificant  in 
appearance,  they  often  do  serious  injury  to  the  crops,  more  par- 
ticularly to  the  oatfields  of  New  England,  which  they  visit  in 
countless  multitudes.  Towards  the  middle  of  August,  forsaking 
their  feeding-grounds  in  the  North,  the  familiar  "clink"  of  the 
reedy  is  heard  on  every  side  in  the  neighborhood  of  Philadelphia, 
and  may  be  distinctly  recognised  on  a  still  evening,  as  they  pass 


212  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

in  multitudes  over  the  city.  During  the  first  few  days  of  their 
appearance  in  these  parts,  they  seem  to  confine  themselves  to  the 
cornfields  and  upland  meadows,  waiting  as  it  were  the  further 
ripening  of  the  reeds ;  after  this,  they  descend  to  the  banks  of  the 
Delaware  and  Schuylkill,  which  are  now  overrun  with  the  rank 
growth  of  the  wild  oats,  Zazania  aquatica,  which  produces  a  small 
seed  in  great  profusion.  Feasting  luxuriantly  for  several  days  on 
this  nutritious  food,  they  soon  become  extremely  fat, — in  fact, 
nothing  but  compact  balls  of  delicious  meat,  each  one  a  dainty 
morsel  for  the  eager  palates  of  our  epicurean  citizens. 


SHOOTING  THEM. 

The  war  of  musketry  is  now  heard  incessantly  from  bright 
morning  till  dark  night,  all  along  the  banks  of  our  rivers,  and  the 
markets  are  soon  overstocked  with  the  innocent  victims  of  many  a 
rusty  old  barrel,  only  brought  into  requisition  once  a  year,  in 
reed-bird  season.  If  the  weather  should  be  very  warm,  as  it 
most  frequently  is  at  this  time  of  the  year,  the  birds  spoil  very  soon 
after  being  killed,  and  consequently  remain  but  a  short  time  in  the 
hands  of  the  hucksters  and  game-dealers,  who  are  very  glad  to 
dispose  of  them  at  from  twelve  to  twenty-five  cents  per  dozen,  ac- 
cording to  the  returns  of  the  previous  day's  shooting,  which,  of 
course,  depends  in  a  great  measure  upon  the  wind  and  weather. 

Reed-birds  are  shot  on  the  meadows  below  our  city,  or  in  the 
reeds  from  a  boat.  Great  numbers  are  often  brought  down  at  a 
single  shot,  as  they  generally  congregate  in  enormous  flocks 
towards  sunset ;  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  kill  four  or  five  dozen 
from  the  well-directed  fire  of  a  double-barrelled  gun.  It  would 
appear  incredible  to  state  all  the  numbers  that  have  been  reported 
as  killed  at  one  discharge  of  an  old  musket,  or  other  heavy  gun ; 


THE    REED-BIRD.  213 

we  will,  therefore,  confine  ourselves  to  one  single  instance,  in  which 
thirteen  dozen  ^were  picked  up, — the  result  of  a  raking  fire  poured 
into  a  flock  from  an  old  fowling-piece  that  "  scattered  most  con- 
foundedly." This  is  not  by  any  means  the  largest  number  we 
have  heard  of  being  bagged  at  one  coup  de  fusil;  but  the  account 
is  well  authenticated  and  within  bounds  of  credence,  and  we  give 
it  to  our  readers  as  such,  for  we  have  no  reason  to  doubt  the  vera- 
city of  the  party  who  told  us. 

NETTING   REED-BIRDS. 

During  the  last  year  or  two,  a  French  gentleman  of  our  city 
has  been  amusing  himself  in  netting  these  birds  upon  the  meadows, 
and  has  been  quite  successful  in  the  sport,  catching  immense  num- 
bers, oftentimes  several  hundreds  at  a  single  draw  of  the  net.  The 
process  of  taking  reed-birds  in  this  way  is  very  simple ;  but,  as  we 
are  opposed  to  all  kinds  of  poaching  and  unsportsmanlike  modes 
of  taking  any  kind  of  winged  game,  we  will  not  dwell  longer  on 
the  subject. 

COMPARED   WITH   THE   ORTOLAN   OF   EUROPE. 

The  flavor  of  the  reed-bird  is  extremely  juicy  and  rich,  and 
assimilates  as  near  as  possible  to  that  of  the  ortolan  of  Europe, 
which  interesting  fact  we  very  unwittingly  tested  at  a  celebrated 
cafe,  in  company  with  some  others  of  our  green  countrymen  who 
were  in  Paris  at  the  same  time,  and,  greatly  to  our  surprise  as 
well  as  indignation,  were  forced  to  pay  for  the  information  at  the 
rate  of  a  dollar  per  head  for  these  delicate  little  morceaux.  At 
this  rather  rechercM  but  expensive  feast — for  we  devoured  the 
poor  ortolans  in  nearly  the  same  numbers  as  we  were  wont  to  do 
the  reed-birds  at  the  height  of  the  season  in  our  own  city — we 
think  that  the  flavor  of  the  French  bird  was  indelibly  stamped 
upon  our  palate  in  about  perhaps  the  same  ratio  as  the  impression 
made  at  the  time  upon  our  purse,  which,  en  passant,  was  not  very 
light,  we  can  assure  the  reader,  as  we  were  all  Philadelphians, 
and  consequently  death  on   reed-birds,  and,  in  course,  ortolans 


214  lewis's     AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

also.  As  far  as  we  can  recollect  the  particulars  of  this  dijeuner 
a  la  fourchette, — which,  by-the-by,  afforded  us  all  iiguch  merriment 
for  a  long  time  afterwards, — the  company,  pretty  generally,  when 
partaking  of  the  feast,  in  the  goodness  of  their  hearts,  or  rather  in 
the  joy  of  their  stomachs,  were  quite  loud  in  their  praises  of  the 
far-famed  ortolan ;  and  all  pronounced  its  flavor  much  superior  to 
that  of  the  poor  unpretending  reedy  of  America.  But,  before 
leaving  the  cafS,  we  must  acknowledge  there  were  some  long  faces 
and  short  purses  in  the  "crowd,"  that  seemed  rather  disposed  to 
disparage  the  well-merited  compliments  which  were  previously  so 
lavishly  bestowed  upon  the  French  bird ;  and  several  were  even  so 
ungrateful,  after  stowing  away  a  brood  or  two  of  them  in  their 
stomachs,  as  to  draw  invidious  comparisons  between  the  two  rivals 
for  gustatory  repute.  After  mature  reflection,  however,  the  whole 
party,  one  and  all,  declared  in  favor  of  the  reed-bird  of  America,  at 
twenty  sous  the  dozen,  over  the  French  bird  at  one  dollar  a  piece. 

PROGRESS   SOUTH. 

As  soon  as  the  frost  makes  its  appearance  in  Pennsylvania,  the 
reed-birds  as  well  as  rails  take  their  departure  for  the  South,  and 
it  is  seldom  that  we  find  either  of  them  with  us  longer  than 
October.  After  they  leave  our  rivers  they  continue  their  course 
south,  visiting  the  ricefields  of  the  Carolinas  and  Georgia,  and 
often  commit  great  havoc  in  those  regions.  Although  thousands 
upon  thousands  of  these  birds  have  been  destroyed  in  their  route 
from  the  North,  still,  thousands  upon  thousands  of  them  yet  exist, 
and  every  gun  is  again  brought  into  requisition  in  their  new  quar- 
ters, to  thin  down  their  inexhaustible  numbers ;  but  all  to  no  pur- 
pose, as  they  still  continue  their  flight  in  immense  bodies  as  the 
winter  advances,  and  ultimately  arrive  at  the  termination  of  their 
long  voyage  in  the  West  India  Islands.  In  Jamaica  they  are 
called  butter-birds;  and  there,  as  in  all  other  parts  where  they 
make  their  appearance,  they  are  highly  esteemed  for  the  delicacy 
and  richness  of  their  flavor. 


THE    REED-BIRD.  215 


CURIOUS   FACTS. 

Audubon  states  that  when  these  birds  migrate  south  in  the 
autumn  their  flight  is  diurnal,  but  when  returning  in  the  spring 
they  travel  mostly  at  night.  Such,  however,  has  not  been  the  result 
of  our  observations,  as  we  have  noticed  the  flight  of  reed-birds, 
many  times  during  the  autumn,  in  the  still  hours  of  the  night ;  and 
in  the  spring  we  have  also  seen  them  travelling  during  the  day. 
Another  interesting  particular  respecting  the  reed-bird  is  the  sin- 
gular change  which  takes  place  in  the  plumage  of  the  male.  This 
change  begins  in  June,  and  by  the  close  of  the  following  month 
the  color  has  approached  so  nearly  to  that  of  the  female  that  it  is 
very  difficult  to  distinguish  one  from  the  other.  This  circum- 
stance, in  connection  with  the  fact  that  the  plumage  of  all  the 
young  birds  also  resembles  that  of  the  females,  has  given  rise  to 
the  vulgar  notion  that  the  male  birds  never  return  from  the  North ; 
but  what  becomes  of  them  every  one  of  course  is  unable  to  con- 
jecture. 

AS   A   CAGE-BIRD. 

The  plumage  of  the  reed-bird  is  variegated  and  pretty,  and  he 
makes  a  very  sprightly  and  contented  captive  for  the  bird-fancier: 
soon  forgetting  his  former  life  of  freedom,  he  resigns  himself  to 
his  lot,  and  sings  merrily  and  cheerily  for  several  months  in  the 
year.  His  notes  are  agreeable,  and  capable  of  much  improvement 
by  associating  him  with  the  canary-bird,  with  which  we  have  been 
told  he  will  pair. 


216 


LEWIS   S    AMEKICAN     SPORTSMAN. 


CHANGE   OF   PLUMAGE. 

We  were  shown,  a  few  days  since,  a  reed-bird,  the  plumage  of 
which  was  a  perfect  canary-color;  and,  if  we  had  not  recognised 
the  bird  from  its  general  outline,  we  should  have  pronounced  it  an 
overgrown  canary/,  so  complete  was  the  change  that  had  taken 
plaice  in  its  appearance. 

MEMORANDA. 

1.  Reed-birds  breed  in  the  North,  pass  the  summer  in  the 
Middle  States,  the  autumn  in  the  South,  and  the  winter  in  the 
West  Indies. 

2.  In  the  North  they  are  called  bobolinks ;  in  Pennsylvania  and 
Delaware,  reed-birds ;  in  the  South,  rice-buntings  or  meadow-birds ; 
in  Jamaica,  butter-birds. 

3.  They  build  their  nests  on  the  ground,  and  raise  but  one  brood 
in  a  season,  consisting  of  from  four  to  six  young. 

4.  The  plumage  of  the  males  during  the  summer  resembles  that 
of  the  females  so  closely  that  it  is  diflBcult  to  tell  them  apart ;  the 
young  bird  at  this  season  also  assimilates  the  female  in  its  plumage. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


RALLUS   CAROLINUS. 


DESCRIPTION   AND   NOMENCLATURE. 

HIS  somewhat  mysterious  bird,  so  well 
known  throughout  certain  portions  of  our 
country  under  the  appellation  of  rail, 
sora,  or  coot,  resembles  very  closely  both 
the  water-crake  or  spotted  rail,  and  the 
land-rail  or  corn-crake  of  England,  not 
only  in  its  habits,  but  also  in  its  general 
appearance.  There  are  few,  if  any,  spe- 
cies of  birds  in  our  country  that  offer  more  tempting  amusement  to 
the  young  sportsman,  or  a  more  agreeable  delicacy  for  the  table, 
than  the  timid  little  fowl  which  now  engages  our  attention.  We  will 
detain  the  reader  for  a  few  moments  while  we  transfer  to  our  pages 

an  abridged  ornithological  description  of  this  shy  bird,  and  will 

217 


218  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

then  pass  on  to  a  consideration  of  some  of  its  habits,  more  parti- 
cularly those  within  the  range  of  our  sporting  friends,  many  of 
which  instinctive  peculiarities  have  very  justly  been  termed  by 
casual  observers  mysterious ;  all  of  which  mysteries,  however,  we 
hope  to  make  perfectly  plain  to  every  one  before  the  close  of  this 
article.  "  The  rail  is  nine  inches  long,  and  fourteen  in  extent ; 
bill  yellow,  blackish  towards  the  point ;  stripe  down  the  throat 
black ;  sides  of  the  crown,  neck,  and  upper  parts  generally,  olive- 
brown;  streaked  with  black  on  a  brown-olive  ground,  and  edged 
with  white;  wing  plain  olive-brown;  tertials  streaked  with  black 
and  long  lines  of  white;  tail  pointed,  dusky  olive-brown  streaked 
with  black ;  lower  part  of  the  breast  marked  with  semicircular  lines 
of  white  on  a  light  ash-ground;  belly  white;  vent  brownish-buff; 
legs,  feet,  and  naked  part  of  the  thighs  yellowish-green ;  eyes  red- 
dish-hazel. The  female  bird  has  little  or  no  black  on  the  head; 
the  throat  is  white,  and  the  plumage  generally  is  of  a  lighter 
color,  and  more  inclined  to  olive,  than  in  the  male." 

HISTORY. 

The  first  thing  to  be  noticed  regarding  this  bird  is  the  circum- 
stance which  renders  the  term  "mysterious"  particularly  appli- 
cable to  the  species.  The  regular  migrations  of  the  feathered 
tribes  are  well  known  to  naturalists,  and  the  favored  time  and 
peculiar  conditions  under  which  these  voyages  from  distant  parts 
are  consummated  by  game-birds  have  been  observed  by  most 
sportsmen;  but  in  the  case  of  the  sora  every  one  is  more  or  less 
at  a  loss,  both  as  to  their  coming  and  departure  from  among  us. 
Whence  they  spring,  or  whither  they  go,  both  naturalist  and  sports- 
man have  been  equally  at  fault,  as  each  is  unwilling  to  grant  that  a 
bird  whose  flight  is  apparently  so  sluggish  and  feeble,  scarcely  rising 
above  the  tops  of  the  reeds,  should  be  capable  of  a  long-continued 
volitation,  or  be  sufficiently  strong  to  encounter  the  fatigues  of  a 
journey  from  the  Far  North,  like  other  migratory  birds.  Neverthe- 
less, it  is  an  evident  fact  that  rails  must  come  from  a  distance ;  and 
when  they  depart  from  our  rivers,  they  must  also  travel  to  still  more 


THE    RAIL.  219 

remote  parts,  if  perchance  they  do  not  (as  has  been  sagely  sur- 
mised by  some  enthusiastic  inquirers  after  truth)  bury  themselves 
in  the  mud  of  our  river-banks  or  become  changed  into  frogs. 
But  who  was  ever  so  fortunate  as  to  dig  up  a  petrified  rail  or 
come  across  an  unfinished  metamorphosis  of  this  description? 
Wilson,  however,  informs  us  that  this  latter  theory,  ridiculous 
as  it  may  seem,  had  its  originator  and  firm  supporter,  who  boldly 
asserted  that  the  transmigration  of  the  sora  into  the  frog  was 
the  true  secret  of  the  sudden  disappearance  of  this  bird;  and, 
moreover,  that  he,  the  author  of  the  strange  notion,  had  in  his 
possession  for  several  days  an  animal  of  an  extraordinary  kind, 
neither  a  rail  nor  a  frog, — in  fact,  something  between  the  two ;  but, 
unfortunately  for  the  progress  of  science,  not  being  accustomed  to 
captivity  and  the  over-kindness  which  was  lavished  upon  it  by  its 
lucky  owner,  the  animal  died  before  the  change  was  complete, 
and  this  remarkable  lusus  naturce  was  thus  lost  to  the  investiga- 
tions of  the  curious  in  such  matters. 

What  rendered  this  singular  hypothesis  more  striking,  and  con- 
firmed the  originator  in  his  preconceived  notions,  was  the  circum- 
stance of  the  frogs  generally  ceasing  to  croak  about  the  time  of 
the  coming  of  the  rails  in  our  rivers.  This  opinion,  however,  has 
gained  but  little  ground,  as  few  persons  are  to  be  found  so  credu- 
lous as  to  place  any  faith  in  a  notion  so  extremely  absurd.  There 
are  several  species  of  rails  known  in  England.  They  arrive  there 
in  the  spring  in  the  same  mysterious  manner  which  they  do  with  us 
in  the  summer,  and  depart  at  the  first  approach  of  frost  for  more 
southern  climes,  in  a  like  unceremonious  style,  seldom  or  never 
being  seen  on  their  passage  either  to  or  from  the  countries  where 
at  certain  seasons  they  abound.  So  very  shy  is  this  bird,  that, 
although  almost  every  meadow  and  clover-field  in  England  re- 
sounds during  the  spring  with  the  eternal  crek  creh  of  the  land- 
rail, very  few  are  shot,  and  the  bird  itself  is  scarcely  known  to  the 
country-people,  notwithstanding  they  constantly  hear  its  well- 
known  creh  creh  whenever  they  go  into  the  fields.  For  such  is 
the  secret,  skulking,  and  solitary  habits  of  this  little  bird,  that  it 


220  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

very  seldom  takes  wing,  even  when  hotly  pressed  by  a  dog ;  and  all 
our  sportsmen  know  how  difficult  it  is  to  spring  the  rail,  even  with 
the  assistance  of  a  boat,  and  a  long  pole  with  which  to  beat  the  reeds. 

Notwithstanding  the  different  notions  respecting  the  movements 
of  our  soras,  it  is  certain  that  these  birds,  like  many  other  species, 
perform  regular  migrations  from  North  to  South,  and  return  in  the 
same  way  during  the  following  spring;  and  it  is  also  probable 
that  their  flights  take  place  in  the  night,  owing  to  their  instinctive 
desire  to  court  concealment.  Wilson  tells  us  that  it  was  formerly 
no  very  unusual  thing  to  find  young  rails  on  the  meadows  of  the 
Delaware  and  Schuylkill.  Mr.  Bartram,  a  gentleman  well  ac- 
quainted with  this  bird,  states  that  he  has  often  seen  and  caught 
young  rails  on  his  own  meadows  in  the  month  of  June ;  that  he  has 
also  seen  their  nests,  usually  in  a  tussock  of  grass,  containing  four 
or  five  spotted,  dirty,  whitish-colored  eggs,  and  that  the  young  ran 
as  soon  as  they  escaped  from  the  shell,  being  quite  black,  and 
glided  about  through  the  grass  like  mice,  and  during  this  particular 
period  they  resembled  the  "  corn-crake  of  England."  This  circum- 
stance alone  proves  that  the  origin  of  soras  is  not  involved  in  so 
much  obscurity  as  many  persons  are  anxious  to  make  it  appear, 
and  satisfies  us  that  these  birds  follow  the  general  laws  of  nature 
during  the  migratory  season,  and  that  some  few  of  them,  like  other 
birds  of  similar  habits,  remain  with  us  in  these  latitudes  during  the 
summer,  for  the  purposes  of  breeding. 

Although  our  sportsmen  are  unwilling  to  acknowledge  the  power 
of  soras  to  fly  any  considerable  distance,  we  have  several  instances 
on  record  that  go  to  show  that  this  bird  is  capable  of  great  endu- 
rance and  of  very  extended  flight,  and  that  in  common  with  other 
birds  it  is  possessed  of  foresight  and  strength  sufficient  to  enable  it 
to  go  in  quest  of  distant  climes,  congenial  to  its  feelings  and  modes 
of  life.  Mr.  Skipwith,  our  consul  several  years  since  in  Europe, 
when  returning  home,  off  the  capes  of  Chesapeake,  caught  several 
rails  that  alighted  on  the  ship,  and,  being  well  acquainted  with  the 
bird,  declares  that  they  were  the  same  as  those  usually  killed  on 
the  James  River ;  and  Wilson  has  also  been  assured  by  many  gentle- 


THE    RAIL.  221 

men  and  captains  that  they  have  often  met  with  these  hirds  between 
the  mainland  and  the  islands.*  These  facts,  certainly,  are  suffi- 
cient to  convince  us  that  rails  are  capable  of  very  long  flights,  and 
would  also  lead  us  to  believe  that  many  of  them  even  pass  their 
winters  in  as  remote  districts  as  the  West  India  Islands. 

SINGULAR   CHARACTERISTICS   OF   THE   RAIL. 

The  mysterious  coming  and  going  of  the  soras  is  not  the  only 
singular  characteristic  attributed  to  the  species,  as  it  has  been  sur- 
mised years  ago,  by  a  gentleman  of  respectability  and  worth  of 
this  city,  that  rails  are  subject  to  bursts  of  vehement  passion,  occa- 
sioning fits  analogous  to  epilepsy,  and  relates  several  instances  in 
which  this  singular  effect  was  produced.  We  never  witnessed  any 
thing  of  this  kind ;  but  some  of  our  sporting  friends  may  have  done 
so  in  their  shooting  excursions,  and  we  should  be  glad  to  hear  from 
them  on  the  subject.  It  has  also  been  observed,  by  "Brewer," 
that  the  various  species  of  rails  possess  a  certain  power  of  ven- 
triloquism, which  is  more  particularly  developed  in  the  corn-crake 
of  England;  and  that  when  crying  they  often  remain  stationary, 
and  throw  their  voices  in  opposite  directions,  at  one  time  as  if 
within  a  few  yards  of  the  spot  where  the  observer  is  standing,  and 
in  a  second  or  two  appearing  in  an  entirely  different  position. 

We  should,  perhaps,  never  have  noticed  this  remarkable  fact  in 
the  rail  species,  if  our  attention  had  not  been  called  to  it  by  the 
observations  of  "Brewer."  We  are  induced  to  place  much  confi- 
dence in  his  views  upon  this  subject,  from  our  intimate  knowledge 
of  the  habits  of  the  rails  of  our  own  country,  which  we  believe  also 
to  be  somewhat  endowed  with  this  singular  power ;  and  the  mere 
mention  of  it  in  this  article  may  possibly  throw  some  additional 
light  on  the  subject.     It  is  not  at  all  impossible  that  nature  may 


*  May  10,  1851.— We  were  invited  by  our  friend  George  H.  Bryan,  Esq.,  to  go 
on  board  of  the  packet-ship  Michael  Angelo,  just  arrived  from  Liverpool,  to  see  a 
rail  caught  at  sea  some  days  previous.  The  captain  assured  us  that  the  nearest 
land  at  the  time  the  rail  was  captured  was  Cape  Sable,  distant  about  three  hun- 
dred miles. 


222  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

have  bestowed  this  power  upon  these  birds  for  some  good  purpose, 
as  well  as  upon  other  animals.  Captain  Lyon,  in  speaking  of  the 
Arctic  fox,  states  that  "it  is  a  singular  fact  that  their  bark  is  so 
modulated  as  to  give  an  idea  that  the  animal  is  at  a  distance,  al- 
though at  the  very  moment  he  lies  at  your  feet;"  and  he  supposes 
that  these  foxes  are  gifted  with  this  species  of  ventriloquism  in 
order  to  deceive  their  prey  as  to  the  distance  they  are  from  them. 


THEIR   FOOD,    ETC. 

The  soras,  like  the  rice-buntings,  are  excessively  fond  of  the 
seeds  of  the  Zizania  aquatica,  or  wild  reed,  that  grows  in  such 
luxurious  profusion  along  the  muddy  shores  of  many  of  our  rivers, 
and  will  be  found  secreted  in  the  midst  of  these  flourishing  plants 
as  soon  as  they  have  acquired  their  full  growth.  The  Zizania 
aquatica  grows  to  a  great  height  and  spreads  over  immense  tracts 
of  tidewater  shores,  extending  for  miles  along  the  rivers,  and 
oftentimes  rising  to  a  height  of  ten  or  twelve  feet  and  the  stems 
so  strong  and  closely  interwoven  with  each  other  that  they  defy 
every  effort  to  propel  a  boat  through  them.  The  seeds  of  this 
plant  begin  to  ripen,  in  the  Eastern  and  Middle  States,  early  in 
August,  and  the  rails  soon  find  their  way  to  the  different  rivers 
whose  shores  produce  it  in  any  considerable  abundance.  When 
they  first  arrive,  they  are  poor  and  unpalatable,  but  soon  gain 
flesh,  and  become  extremely  fat  and  delicious  to  the  taste.  In  truth, 
we  are  very  partial  to  this  bird,  and,  when  in  good  condition,  prefer 
it  to  most  other  kinds  of  game;    at  all  events,  we  can  eat  more 


THE    RAIL.  223 

rails,  and  partake  of  them  more  constantly  without  feeling  sated 
than  of  any  other  game-bird.  They  are  particularly  tender,  rich, 
juicy,  and  delicate,  and  do  not  cloy  the  stomach  by  quantity 
or  pall  the  appetite  by  daily  indulgence.  At  this  season  the 
reeds  along  the  Delaware  and  Schuylkill  swarm  with  these  timid 
little  birds,  that  pursue  their  solitary  ways  in  silence  and  dread, 
seldom  giving  utterance  to  a  single  note,  if  undisturbed.  Should  a 
stone,  however,  be  thrown  into  the  reeds,  a  sharp  and  rapid  creh^ 
creJc,  crek  will  be  heard  resounding  in  every  quarter ;  but  still  not 
a  rail  is  to  be  seen,  although  hundreds  are  gliding  about  through 
the  reeds  in  every  direction,  within  a  few  feet  of  where  we  are 
standing.  If  we  should  be  so  fortunate  as  to  spy  one  skulking  in 
the  dense  field  of  reeds  before  us,  he  will  most  probably  be  seen 
jutting  up  his  tail  and  running  with  astonishing  speed  between  the 
stalks  of  those  plants,  more  like  a  water-rat  than  a  feathered 
denizen  of  the  air.  The  flight  of  this  bird  being  so  regular  and 
feeble,  it  presents  an  easy  mark  to  the  young  sportsman,  and  per- 
haps is  the  best  game-bird  that  we  have  on  which  to  commence  the 
art  of  shooting  on  the  wing,  although  it  will  require  considerable 
experience  to  make  the  tyro  proficient  in  the  science  of  balancing 
his  body  in  the  boat  while  it  is  being  pushed  through  the  reeds. 

The  sora  seldom  flies  more  than  fifty  or  a  hundred  yards  at  a 
time,  and  often  not  so  far.  They  merely  rise  with  extended  legs, 
and  flutter,  as  it  were,  lazily  over  the  tops  of  the  reeds,  and  then 
drop  down  again.  We  have,  however,  observed  them,  when  hard 
pressed  by  numerous  shooters,  direct  their  course  across  the  Dela- 
ware, and  seemingly  gain  strength  and  energy  as  they  pursued 
their  venturesome  way. 

When  wounded,  rails  exhibit  wonderful  cunning,  and  fre- 
quently display  decided  ingenuity  in  their  efibrts  to  escape.  They 
swim  with  ease,  and  dive  very  expertly,  occasionally  remaining 
under  water  for  some  moments,  clinging  to  the  reeds  with  their 
feet;  and  we  have  often  observed  them  secreted  and  perfectly 
motionless  under  the  sides  of  the  boat,  or  floating  under  the  broken 
reeds,  with  the  point  of  their  bill  protruding  above  the  surface  of 


224  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

the  water,  to  enable  them  to  breathe,  in  which  position  they  will 
continue  until  an  opportunity  offers  for  escaping  from  their 
pursuer. 

In  the  month  of  July,  the  soras  are  found  farther  north ;  and  we 
hear  of  them  being  shot  upon  the  marshy  shallows  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Detroit,  where  another  species  of  reed,  to  which  they  are 
also  partial,  is  seen  to  grow;  and  no  doubt  there  are  many  places 
along  our  northern  frontier  that  are  visited  by  these  birds  in  their 
annual  migrations.  Rails  are  very  sensitive  to  cold,  and  seldom 
remain  with  us  longer  than  the  month  of  October ;  and  it  is  quite 
useless  to  go  in  quest  of  them  after  a  smart  frost  or  two,  even  if  it 
should  occur  quite  early  in  the  season,  as  they  will  generally  be 
found  to  have  abandoned  their  haunts  as  suddenly  as  they  came  to 
them.  The  season  of  1846  was  a  remarkably  favorable  one  for 
the  stay  of  the  soras  in  our  rivers ;  and  we  understand  that  until 
November  25th  of  that  year  they  lingered  in  considerable  numbers 
among  the  reeds,  luxuriating  upon  their  tender  seeds,  and  awaiting 
the  first  brumal  spell  to  speed  them  on  their  tedious  journey  to  the 
South. 


SHOOTING   RAILS. 

The  sport  attending  the  destruction  of  rails  is  exciting  and 
exhilarating  in  the  extreme,  but  perhaps  more  fatiguing  and  less 
beneficial  to  health  than  any  other  kind  of  shooting.  It  is  carried 
on  in  this  wise : — 

Being  furnished  with  a  small,  flat-bottomed  canoe,  and  a  good, 
broad-shouldered  boatman,  yclept  "pusher,"  from  the  peculiar  duty 
that  he  performs  in  propelling  the  bateau  through  the  reeds  by 
means  of  a  long  pole,  the  sportsman  stations  himself  on  the  rail- 
ground  and  anxiously  awaits  the  coming  of  the  tide.     The  water 


THE    RAIL.  225 

having  risen  to  a  sufficient  height  to  allow  the  passage  of  the  boat 
through  or  over  the  reeds,  the  shooter  places  himself  in  the  bow 
of  the  little  craft,  surrounded  by  all  the  necessary  paraphernalia 
for  loading  with  expedition  and  safety,  and,  being  ever  on  the  qui 
vive,  knocks  the  poor  birds  down  right  and  left  as  they  rise  a  few 
yards  before  the  boat  as  it  gently  glides  among  the  reeds. 

It  is  better  to  have  two  double-barrelled  guns;  for  when  the 
birds  get  up  lively  it  will  be  necessary  to  load  and  fire  so  rapidly 
that  the  gun  will  soon  become  too  hot  to  handle  or  charge 
without  danger,  and  the  chambers  and  barrels  will  get  so  clogged 
with  powder  and  leaded  with  shot  that  it  will  be  almost  impossible 
to  load  with  the  necessary  expedition.  It  will  also  be  proper  to 
provide  yourself  with  a  good,  stout  ramrod,  which  can  be  handled 
with  facility  and  thrown  down  anywhere  in  the  boat  without  fear 
of  being  broken.  To  prevent  accidents  and  insure  despatch  in 
loading — upon  which  latter  circumstance  the  grand  result  of  the 
day's  sport  almost  entirely  depends,  even  with  a  moderately  good 
shot — it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  be  provided  with  shot-cartridges, 
which,  together  with  the  caps  and  powder,  may  be  placed  in  a  handy 
box,  and  set  on  the  bow  of  the  boat,  directly  in  front.  The  kind 
of  box  we  generally  make  use  of  is  made  of  tin,  about  twelve 
inches  in  length,  six  in  width,  and  five  in  depth ;  it  is  divided  into 
two  equal  compartments, — one  for  powder,  and  the  other  for  shot 
or  cartridges ;  and  the  latter  apartment  has  a  small  shelf  or  divi- 
sion at  one  end  of  it,  sufficiently  large  to  hold  a  quantity  of  caps 
or  cut  wads.  If  cartridges  are  used,  there  will  be  no  occasion  for 
wads ;  and,  as  we  employ  them  altogether  when  shooting  rails,  we 
have  no  division  in  our  box  for  holding  wads.  The  box  should 
be  made  of  good,  stout  tin,  well  soldered  together,  with  a  cover 
or  lid  sufficiently  large  to  close  up  either  apartment,  and  so  made 
that  when  thrown  from  the  powder  it  will  fall  over  and  cover  up 
the  shot  or  cartridges,  and  when  the  shot  is  exposed  to  view  the 
powder  will  necessarily  be  covered  up,  and  thus  prevent  accidents, 
and  the  provoking  consequences  arising  from  the  small  seeds,  stems, 

and  dirt  falling  into  the  powder,  when  the  boat  is  being  propelled 

15 


226  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

through  the  high  reeds.  It  is  better  not  to  have  a  handle  to  the 
box,  as  it  would  necessarily  have  to  be  square,  and  over  six  inches 
high  from  the  top  of  the  box,  so  as  to  allow  the  lid  to  pass  under 
it ;  and,  being  made  in  this  way,  would  have  a  clumsy  appearance, 
and  be  of  no  particular  benefit,  but  rather  interfere  with  the  motion 
of  the  hands  when  loading  with  rapidity.  If  the  box  is  filled  with 
the  necessary  ammunition  before  leaving  the  house,  it  may  be  very 
conveniently  carried  to  the  boat  by  tying  it  up  in  a  stout  handker- 
chief, or  a  leather  strap  may  be  attached  to  the  box  is  such  a  way 
as  to  serve  the  purpose  of  a  handle.  But  we  prefer  taking  all  our 
accoutrements  to  the  boat  in  a  small  basket,  and  then  transferring 
them  to  the  box,  before  leaving  the  shore.  The  basket  also  answers 
a  very  good  purpose  for  carrying  the  birds  in  from  the  boat  on  our 
return,  as  they  dry  much  better,  and  the  plumage  looks  far  more 
nice  than  when  dangling  to  a  long  string,  upon  which  they  become 
soiled  and  ruffled,  by  dragging  on  the  ground  or  pitching  about  in 
the  boat.  However,  if  a  stationary  handle  is  convenient  on  some 
accounts  and  inconvenient  on  others,  it  is  easy  enough  to  have  a 
shifting  one  put  on,  that  may  be  taken  ofi"  at  pleasure;  but  we 
prefer  the  old  cotton  handkerchief  or  basket,  and  so  does  a  valued 
friend  of  ours,  a  veteran  sportsman,  from  whom  we  took  the  idea. 

Thus  equipped,  and  provided  with  a  good  portion  of  ice,  to  allay 
the  parching  thirst  that  generally  attends  this  sport  during  the  hot 
days  of  summer,  the  shooter  takes  his  position  in  the  bow  of  the 
boat,  with  gun  in  hand,  left  leg  forward,  and  his  body  firmly 
balanced.  Being  rightly  placed,  the  sportsman  now  trusts  him- 
self to  the  skill  and  management  of  the  "pusher"  to  carry  him 
through  the  reeds  wherever  the  rails  are  most  likely  to  be  feeding. 

Great  dexterity  and  muscular  power  are  required  in  a  pusher ; 
for  without  the  former  the  shooter  may  be  splashed  from  head  to 
foot,  and  perhaps  rudely  knocked  overboard  by  the  awkward 
handling  of  the  heavy  pole  by  which  the  boat  is  made  to  shoot 
through  the  reeds ;  and,  without  the  latter  requisite,  the  skifi",  in- 
stead of  proceeding  in  a  regular,  steady  course,  will  start  and 
quiver  with  an  uneasy  motion,  that  renders  the  footing  so  unstable 


THE    BAIL.  227 

that  he  may  be  thrown  down,  perhaps  overboard, — at  all  events,  be 
often  prevented  from  shooting  when  a  rail  presents  itself. 

Another  important  requisite  in  a  "pusher"  is  that  he  be  a  good 
"marker,"  otherwise  one-third  of  all  the  birds  shot  will  be  lost,  as 
the  eternal  sameness  of  the  green  reeds  precludes  the  possibility  of 
an  inexperienced  hand  finding  them,  when,  as  is  often  the  case, 
there  are  four  or  five  rails  down  at  one  time.  Who  among  our 
Philadelphia  shooters  has  not  heard  of  Old  Pike,  Fowler,  and  Bill 
Rump,  of  rail-shooting  notoriety,  all  of  whom  have  served  an 
honorable  apprenticeship  to  the  arduous  task  of  "pushing,"  and 
are  not  yet  to  be  excelled  in  these  parts  ?  How  eagerly  are  these 
three  veteran  "pushers"  sought  after,  and  how  frequently,  almost 
universally,  do  their  boats  bring  in  the  largest  number  of  birds, 
without  regard  to  the  skill  of  the  sportsman  himself! — as  an  in- 
difierent  shot,  with  these  men,  will  have  double  the  number  of 
chances  that  a  better  marksman  with  another  "pusher"  will  get  on 
the  same  tide,  and  consequently  may  miss  a  third  of  his  birds  and 
still  be  even  with  the  party.  The  first  time  we  went  out  rail- 
shooting,  we  employed  "Bill  Rump;"  and,  to  our  great  satisfaction 
and  surprise,  on  counting  our  birds,  found  that  we  had  beaten 
several  old  stagers  at  the  sport,  although — we  are  loath  to  con- 
fess it — we  missed  enough  of  fair  shots  to  quite  discourage,  if  not 
at  times  to  totally  disgust,  our  zealous  "pusher." 

However,  speaking  of  "beating  others  at  this  kind  of  sport" 
reminds  us  of  the  great  opportunities  that  those  who  participate 
in  this  amusement  have  of  chiselling  each  other  regarding  the 
number  of  rails  actually  killed  on  one  tide.  To  show  the  fallacy 
of  betting  on  the  results  of  such  shooting,  without  the  parties  are 
much  closer  watched  than  they  usually  are  at  the  present  time,  we 
will  merely  state  that  there  are  some  individuals,  "begging  their 
pardons,"  nothing  remarkable  for  their  shooting  qualities,  who 
never  can  be  beaten,  or  never  will  be  beaten,  upon  a  trial-match  at 
rail-shooting,  no  matter  how  great  the  number  their  antagonist  kills, 
for  the  simple  reason  that  they  are  leagued  in  with  their  friends 
and  "pushers"  to  provide  them  with  the  birds  when  concealed  from 


2*28  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

observation  in  the  reeds,  even  if  the  stern  or  bow  of  the  boat  is 
not  stuffed  full  before  leaving  the  landing ;  or  perchance  he  may 
find  a  dozen  or  two  cunningly  staked  out  in  the  reeds,  which  will 
so  considerably  augment  his  numbers  that  no  shot,  no  matter  how 
good,  can  easily  overcount  him. 

We  know  that  such  tricks  have  been  practised  upon  our  friends, 
"  and  we  consider  it  our  duty  to  expose  them,  and  thus  put  the 
green  ones"  on  their  guard,  or,  at  least,  on  an  equal  footing  with 
these  wonderful  "rail-shooters,"  who  every  season  perform  such 
miracles  and  make  loud  boasts  of  their  slaughter  and  carnage. 

As  the  boat  passes  through  the  reeds,  the  rails  usually  rise 
singly  a  few  feet  in  advance  of  the  bow,  and,  flying  slowly  in  a 
direct  line,  present  a  fair  mark  for  the  sportsman.  It  is  seldom 
that  more  than  one  bird  is  killed  at  a  time,  although  two  are  occa- 
sionally brought  down  with  one  barrel,  when  they  spring  fast  and 
cross  each  other  in  their  flight. 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  "pusher"  to  mark  the  birds  which  are  killed, 
as  also  to  notice  where  those  that  escape  drop  down ;  and  when  a 
rail  springs  on  either  side  of  the  boat,  he  should  call  out  "  Mark !" 
so  that  the  shooter  may  be  on  the  alert  to  bang  away  in  every 
direction.  The  higher  the  tide  the  better  the  sport,  as  the  boat 
will  glide  more  freely  over  the  reeds,  and  the  birds,  having  less 
shelter,  are  obliged  to  spring  more  frequently  when  come  upon. 
The  reeds  around  the  boat  should  be  constantly  beaten  with  the  pole, 
as  rails  are  often  concealed  within  a  few  feet  of  our  track  and 
will  not  stir  without  being  driven  to  "wing"  by  this  method. 

The  tides  are  regulated  very  much  by  the  wind ;  and  the  moon, 
also,  has  no  small  influence  in  the  production  of  high  tides  com- 
monly called  "spring-tides,"  which  may  occur  both  at  the  full  and 
change,  as  at  both  these  periods  she  acts  on  the  earth  in  conjunc- 
tion with  the  sun. 

For  rail-shooting  in  the  Delaware  or  Schuylkill,  and,  in  fact,  in 
all  the  tributaries  of  the  former,  a  southerly  or  southeasterly  wind 
will  produce  the  best  tides ;  but  we  have  seen  good  tides  when  the 
wind  was  from  quite  a  contrary  direction,  and  no  doubt  every  rail- 


THE    RAIL.  229 

shooter  has  occasionally  been  deceived  in  his  calculations  on  this 
head.  We  have  known  excellent  tides  in  our  river  when  the  wind 
was  blowing  fresh  from  the  northeast. 

It  is  a  common  observation  that  soras  are  fatter  during  the 
increase  and  full  of  the  moon  than  at  any  other  time,  which  has 
been  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  the  bird  is  at  this  time  able  to 
feed  both  by  day  and  night;  and,  moreover,  the  high  tides  that 
prevail  frequently  at  this  period  enable  the  rails  to  get  at  the  seeds 
better,  and  a  much  greater  deposit  of  them  is  also  left  on  the  mud 
at  low  water,  by  the  breaking  down  and  shaking  of  the  reeds 
during  the  ebb  and  flow  of  the  water.  If  the  day  be  somewhat 
hazy,  it  will  answer  the  purpose  of  the  sportsman  much  better 
than  a  clear  sky,  as  the  reflection  of  the  sun  from  the  water  upon 
one's  face,  in  connection  with  the  beaming  hot  rays  upon  one's 
head,  for  several  hours  together,  is  not  the  most  pleasant  position 
that  a  shooter  can  place  himself  in. 

The  sport  continues  without  intermission  till  the  receding  tide 
warns  the  "pusher"  that  all  his  efforts  will  soon  prove  unavailing 
to  propel  the  boat  through  the  thick  reeds  that  encompass  him 
on  every  side. 

It  is  useless  to  attempt  to  give  any  instructions  as  to  shooting 
these  birds ;  as  we  are  convinced  that  any  one  who  keeps  his  eyes 
open,  and  points  the  gun  towards  the  rail,  will  be  sure  to  kill 
them,  as  they  seldom  or  never  deviate  from  a  direct  course,  but 
pursue  a  bee-line  for  a  few  yards  and  then  pop  down  again.  The 
only  thing  necessary  to  make  an  expert  rail-shooter  is  a  little 
quickness  in  handling  the  gun,  as  the  bird  must  be  covered  as  soon 
as  on  the  wing,  otherwise  he  flutters  for  a  moment  or  so  and  then 
drops  in  the  reeds,  and,  as  before  remarked,  when  down  after 
being  flushed,  he  lies  very  close,  and  is  difficult  to  be  got  up 
again. 


230 


lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


NUMBERS   KILLED. 

The  number  of  rails  often  killed  on  a  single  tide  by  one  shooter 
is  almost  incredible,  when  we  take  into  consideration  the  circum- 
stance that  the  birds  are  all  shot  singly ;  and,  if  we  had  not  most 
authentic  information  regarding  these  statements,  we  should  hesi- 
tate to  publish  them.  But,  having  obtained  the  memoranda  for 
1846  from  a  reliable  source,  we  cannot  for  a  moment  doubt  its 
correctness,  and  our  own  observations  lead  us  to  believe  that  the 
accounts  are  not  at  all  exaggerated.  The  great  abundance  and 
luxurious  profusion  of  the  reeds  along  the  shores  of  the  Delaware 
below  Philadelphia,  and  the  extensive  mud-flats  which  are  covered 
for  miles  with  these  plants,  make  our  river  the  favorite  resort  of 
rails,  as  well  as  reed-birds,  and  the  multitude  that  are  slaughtered 
each  season  are  beyond  computation.  The  following  extract  is 
taken  fron^  the  paper  furnished  us  and  carefully  compiled  by 
Major  Price,  of  the  National  Hotel,  Chester,  and  we  select  from  it 
the  best  shooting  of  the  season  of  1846 : — 


Sept.  3,  J.  Irwin  killed 82  rails. 

"  4,J.  M.  Eyre 122  " 

"  4,  B.  B.  Pearson 101  " 

"  4,  T.Thurlow 83  " 

"  4,  E.Wells 136  " 

"  5,  Matzinger 95  " 

"  5,  J.  M.  Odenheimer.  128  " 

"  5,  B.Ford 87  " 

"  5,  Wells 154  « 

"  5,  A.Worrall 136  " 

"  5,  E.Wells 114  " 

♦'  6,  E.  E.  Eyre 108  " 

«  6,  S.Smith 93  " 

"  7,  J.  R.  Eyre 101  " 

«  7,  C.Price 82  " 

"  7,  Bringhust 91  " 

"  7,  H.  Taylor 96  " 

"  7,  H.  Edwards 108  " 


Sept.  7,  J.  M.  Eyre  killed...  90  rails. 

8,  Matzinger 122  " 

8,  E.  E.  Eyre 94  " 

8,  Brown 97  '* 

8,  C.  Price 91  " 

8,  J.  K.  Bonsai 107  " 

9,  J.  Newbold 81  " 

9,  J.  M.  Odenheimer.  132  " 

9,  W.  Read 107  " 

9,  G.Epley 85  " 

10,  J.  Newbold 83  " 

10,  J.  Bonsai 141  " 

10,  S.Smith 103  " 

10,  E.  Eyre 115  '* 

11,  E.  Eyre 101  " 

11,  H.  Edwards 107  " 

Oct.  4,  S.  Smith 104  " 


But  the  greatest  exploit  of  all  is  yet  to  be  chronicled.  On  the 
8th  of  September,  Mr.  J.  M.  Eyre  killed  on  one  tide  the  sur- 
prising  number  of  one  hundred   and   ninety-five  rails,  which  is 


THE    RAIL.  231 

forty  more  than  ever  was  bagged  by  one  shooter  on  our  river,  if  we 
except,  perhaps,  the  shooting-match  that  took  place  many  years 
ago  between  Mr.  Hubbell  and  a  friend,  at  which  time,  we  believe, 
the  former  gentleman  got  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  rails.  The 
birds  were  very  numerous,  as  we  may  suppose,  on  this  day,  and  the 
tide  very  high,  insomuch  that  the  rails  were  obliged  to  seek 
shelter  on  the  meadows, —  a  very  uncommon  circumstance.  Mr. 
Eyre  lives  in  Chester,  and  is  considered  one  of  the  very  best  of 
shots  on  rail,  and  is  ever  on  the  spot  ready  to  avail  himself  of  all 
the  high  tides  that  make  up  our  river  during  the  rail-season.* 
The  most  indifferent  shot  may  often  kill  from  thirty  to  forty 
rails  on  a  good  tide,  and  fair  shots  always  calculate  on  sixty  or 
eighty. 

SHOOTING  RAILS   IN  VIRGINIA. 

Although  soras  are  generally  killed  in  the  way  we  have  endea- 
vored to  describe  above,  they  are  taken  along  the  shores  of  the 
James  River,  in  Virginia,  in  much  greater  numbers,  by  a  very 
singular  process,  with  which,  however,  we  are  not  practically  ac- 
quainted, but  will  lay  it  before  our  readers  in  the  words  of  Wilson. 
The  operation  of  this  method  is  the  same  as  the  "fire-hunting  of 
woodcock"  in  Louisiana: — "A  kind  of  iron  grate  is  fixed  on  the 
top  of  a  short  pole,  which  is  placed  like  a  mast  in  a  light  canoe, 
and  filled  with  fire.  The  darker  the  night  the  more  successful  is 
the  sport.  The  person  who  manages  the  canoe  is  provided  with 
a  light  paddle  ten  or  twelve  feet  in  length,  and,  about  an  hour 
before  high-water,  proceeds  through  among  the  reeds,  which  lie 
broken  and  floating  on  the  surface.  The  whole  space  for  a  con- 
siderable way  round  the  canoe  is  completely  enlightened :  the  birds 
stare  with  astonishment,  and,  as  they  appear,  are  knocked  on  the 
head  with  a  paddle  and  thrown  into  the  canoe.     In  this  manner, 


*  During  the  season  of  1849,  rails  were  very  abundant,  and  great  numbers  were 
killed ;  over  one  thousand  were  brought  into  Chester  alone  during  one  day  of  a 
very  good  tide. 


232  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

from  twenty  to  eighty  dozen  have  been  killed  by  three  negroes  in 
the  short  space  of  three  hours." 


NETTING   RAILS. 

We  have  been  informed  that  a  French  gentleman  of  our  city 
conceived  the  project  of  driving  rails  into  nets  set  in  the  reeds; 
but  we  believe  that  he  was  not  very  successful  in  the  undertaking, — 
at  all  events,  not  as  much  so  as  he  has  been  in  the  capture  of  reed- 
birds  by  a  somewhat  similar  process. 

FISH   PREY  UPON   RAILS. 

Wherever  rails  abound,  eels  and  catfish  are  said  to  resort  in 
great  numbers,  anxiously  awaiting  every  opportunity  to  prey  upon 
all  those  that  escape  the  eye  of  the  marker  after  being  killed,  or 
that  die  from  wounds.  It  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  find  portions 
of  these  birds,  and  even  whole  rails,  in  the  stomachs  of  eels. 

PLACES  TO  SHOOT  RAILS. 

It  is  difficult  to  say  where,  upon  the  Delaware,  sportsmen  can 
find  the  most  rails,  as  every  spot  teeming  with  the  Zizania  aqua- 
tica  is  filled  with  these  little  birds,  and  great  numbers  are  killed 
in  the  neighborhoods  of  Trenton,  Bristol,  Bordentown,  Burlington, 
Bridesburg,  Gloucester  Point,  Penrose  Ferry,  Marcus  Hook,  Laza- 
retto, Chester,  &c.     This  latter  place  is  perhaps  as  good  as  any, 


THE     RAIL. 


233 


being  at  a  convenient  distance  from  the  city,  and  good  pushers 
and  boats  are  to  be  had  without  much  difficulty. 

EXPENSE   ATTENDING   RAIL-SHOOTING. 

This  amusement  is  somewhat  expensive  to  the  sportsman, — at  all 
events,  much  more  so  than  partridge-shooting.  Good  pushers 
command  high  prices  for  their  arduous  services,  and  few,  if  any  of 
them,  are  contented  with  less  than  $2  50  or  $3  a  tide;  but  if  they 
perform  their  duty  well^  we  do  not  consider  these  amounts  too  much, 
as  their  work  is  of  the  severest  kind.  If  the  generality  of  them, 
however,  drank  less  and  pushed  harder,  it  would  be  a  salutary 
change  for  the  better  among  this  class  of  men. 

Some  of  our  friends  who  live  upon  the  river  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  rail-ground  take  turns  in  pushing  each  other  during  the  shoot- 
ing season,  and  thus  enjoy  in  a  quiet  way  this  sport,  without  the 
expense  of  employing  "regular  pushers." 


234 


LEWIS  S    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


MEMORANDA. 

1.  Rails  migrate  regularly,  as  many  other  birds,  and  pass  the 
breeding  season  in  the  North  and  the  winter  in  the  Far  South. 

2.  These  migrations  are  invariably  performed  under  cover  of 
night,  and  hence  the  mystery  of  their  sudden  appearance:  they 
are  capable  of  long  flights,  and  have  frequently  been  caught  far 
out  at  sea. 

3.  Like  the  reed-birds,  they  are  very  partial  to  the  seeds  of  the 
Zizania  aquatica,  and  consequently  frequent  the  river-shores  where 
this  plant  flourishes  in  the  greatest  profusion. 

4.  Rails  make  their  appearance  in  the  Delaware  and  Schuylkill 
Rivers  early  in  August,  and  remain  till  the  frost  warns  them  to 
seek  the  sunny  South. 

5.  Rails  are  easily  killed;  two  pellets  of  small  shot  are  quite 
sufficient  to  knock  them  down.  When  wounded,  they  swim  and 
skulk  with  great  skill. 

6.  The  greatest  number  of  rails  as  yet  killed  on  any  one  tide  is 
one  nundred  and  ninety-five. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


GREAT   RED-BREASTED   RAIL.      RALLUS   ELEGANS. 


LOCALITY   AND   DESCRIPTION. 

g^     N  his  work  on  the  birds  of  Long  Island, 
'^       Giraud     thus     describes    this     beautiful 
fowl: — "Bill  along  the  gap,  two  inches 
and  three-quarters;   length  of  tarsi,  two 
inches;    sides  and  forepart  of  neck  and 
the   breast,   bright    orange-brown;    iris, 
bright  red."      Total  length  of  the  spe- 
cimen before  us,  seventeen  inches;  wing, 
six    and    three-quarters.      Adult,  upper 
part  of  head  and  hind-neck  dull  brown; 
from  the  base  of  the  upper  mandible  over  the  eye  a  dull  white 
line  terminating  with  brownish-orange ;  lower  eyelids  white,  loral 
space  and  a  band  behind  the  eye  dusky ;  upper  part  of  the  body 

brownish-black;    the  feathers  broadly  margined  with  light  olive- 

235 


286  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

brown ;  wing-coverts  dull  chestnut ;  primaries  dark  brown,  inner 
secondaries  and  tail-feathers  same  as  the  back ;  throat  white ; 
forepart  and  sides  of  the  neck,  with  the  breast,  bright  orange- 
brown  ;  abdomen  and  sides  of  the  body  dark  brown,  faintly  barred 
with  dark  brown ;  lower  tail-coverts  white,  with  a  black  spot  near 
the  end ;  the  middle  feathers  black,  barred  with  white. 

The  Rallus  elegans  is  well  known  to  the  Delaware  rail-shooters  as 
the  king-rail.  They  frequent  the  fresh-water  marshes  of  the  inte- 
rior, and  seem  to  feed  upon  similar  food  with  the  sora  rails,  as  they 
are  generally  found  in  the  same  localities.  The  red-breasted  rail 
is  far  more  common  in  the  South  than  it  is  to  the  eastward,  being 
seldom  met  with  beyond  the  reedy  shores  of  the  river  Delaware. 
The  specimen  before  us  is  a  very  beautiful  one,  and  was  obtained 
while  shooting  soras  below  Chester  last  season. 

The  flesh  of  the  king-rail  is  very  analogous  to  that  of  the  sora, 
perhaps  not  quite  so  delicate,  but  at  times  equally  as  juicy  and 
tender.  The  Rallus  elegans  affects  fresh-water  marshes  only,  never 
being  found  on  the  seaboard;  it  penetrates  far  into  the  interior, 
and  has  the  same  wild  and  skulking  habits  as  the  other  variety ; 
its  flight  is  short  and  apparently  labored,  and  it  requires  but  a 
slight  "rap"  to  knock  it  over.  This  bird  swims  and  dives,  when 
wounded,  with  great  dexterity,  and  resorts  to  the  same  artifices  to 
conceal  itself  beneath  the  water  as  the  sora  rail. 

We  shot  one  of  these  birds  on  an  upland  marsh  in  the  midst  of 
a  heavy  wood,  in  the  interior  of  Maryland,  during  the  month  of 
July. 

The  king-rail  is  also  known  as  the  fresh-water  marsh-hen,  in 
contradistinction  to  the  clapper-rail,  which  is  often  spoken  of  as 
the  "salt-water  marsh-hen." 


CHAPTER 


CLAPPER-RAIL,  OR   MUD-HEN.      RALLUS   CREPITANS. 


UD-HENS,  meadow-clappers,  or  big  rails, 
(for  by  these  appellations  this  fowl  is  more 
familiarly  known  to  the  coast-shooters,) 
are  met  with  along  our  whole  Atlantic 
board,  from  the  southernmost  extremities 
of  Florida  even  as  far  north  as  the  New 
England  States.  The  clapper-rail  is  a 
large  bird,  and  affords  at  times  consider- 
able sport  to  the  shooter :  the  flesh,  however,  notwithstanding  ail 

the  arts  of  the  mditre  de  cuisine  to  the  contrary,  is  universally 

237 


238  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

insipid,  dry,  and  sedgy.  This  fowl  is  not  known  in  Europe,  but  it 
somewhat  resembles  the  moor-hen  (Furtica  chlorophus)  of  England, 
both  in  its  habits,  size,  and  the  savorless  character  of  its  meat. 

Clapper-rails  are  extremely  shy  and  secret  in  their  habits,  and 
are  only  to  be  found  along  the  salt  marshes  of  the  sea-shore  and 
the  large  rivers  of  the  Atlantic  States.  They  are  always  abun- 
dant in  New  Jersey  and  Delaware,  and  sometimes  quite  numerous 
in  the  brackish  fens  of  Long  Island.  The  mud-hen  is  a  migratory 
bird,  and  arrives  from  the  South  on  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  and 
the  neighboring  States  about  the  middle  of  April.  Though  coming 
unobserved  in  the  stillness  of  the  night,  they  soon  make  their 
presence  known  to  the  inhabitants  of  those  districts  by  the  sound 
of  their  harsh  and  never-ceasing  cackle,  somewhat  resembling  the 
well-known  tremulous  cry  of  the  Guinea-fowl.  Although  the 
marshes  and  sedgy  meadows,  in  the  course  of  a  very  few  days 
after  their  first  appearance,  resound  on  all  sides  with  the  unmelo- 
dious  notes  of  these  skulking  birds,  few  or  none  of  them  are  to  be 
seen,  as  they  seldom  take  wing,  and  when  pursued  run  with  amaz- 
ing rapidity  through  the  tangled  weeds  and  high  grass  which  always 
grow  so  luxuriantly  in  the  haunts  that  they  afi*ect.  In  our  youth- 
ful days  we  have  had  many  a  race  after  a  wounded  clapper,  and 
know  full  well  that  our  powers  of  speed  and  endurance  were  often 
most  fruitlessly  taxed  in  the  arduous  chase. 

The  mud-hen  commences  laying  towards  the  close  of  May ;  the 
nest  is  simple,  but  often  artfully  contrived  for  concealment,  having 
the  long  grass  twisted  and  plaitfed  over  it  in  the  form  of  an  arch, 
so  as  efi'ectually  to  conceal  it  from  the  glance  of  an  inexperienced 
observer.  Eight  or  ten  eggs  are  usually  found  in  their  nests :  we 
have  seen  as  many  as  fifteen.  The  eggs  are  eagerly  sought  after 
by  the  residents  of  these  parts,  who,  in  fact,  consider  them  far 
superior  in  delicacy  to  those  of  the  domestic  hen.  The  wholesale 
robbery  of  their  nests  is  not  the  only  interruption  that  the  clapper- 
rail  meets  with  during  the  period  of  incubation,  as  the  marshes  are 
occasionally  overflown  during  the  continuance  of  a  northeast  gale, 
and  thousands  of  eggs  as  well  as  old  birds  are  destroyed. 


CLAPPER-RAIL,  OR   MUD-HEN.  239 

Wilson  mentions  an  instance  where  this  calamity  took  place 
twice  during  one  season,  and,  notwithstanding  these  sad  misfor- 
tunes, this  persevering  fowl  commenced  building  anew  the  third 
time,  and  in  two  weeks  their  eggs  appeared  as  numerous  as  ever. 
On  these  occasions,  hundreds  of  mud-hens  are  destroyed  by  the 
ruthless  hands  of  idle  boys,  and  even  grown  persons,  many  of 
whom  avail  themselves,  as  before  observed,  of  every  opportunity 
to  sacrifice  the  lives  of  the  inferior  animals,  from  a  mere  love  of 
cruelty,  or  to  gratify  a  montrous  propensity  for  shedding  blood. 

The  clapper-rail  swims  expertly  and  dives  with  considerable 
facility,  often  remaining  under  the  water  for  several  minutes  at 
a  time,  holding  on  to  the  roots  of  the  marine  plants  that  grow  at 
the  bottom  of  the  inlets  and  guts  which  intersect  the  marshes 
whereon  these  birds  congregate.         / 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  flush  them ;  and  the  only  chance  the 
sportsman  has  to  shoot  them  is  by  going  on  the  marshes  in  a  light 
boat  during  a  high  tide,  when,  from  want  of  shelter,  they  are 
obliged,  like  the  soras,  to  seek  safety  in  flight,  and  are  then  easily 
knocked  over.  When  the  tide  is  not  sufficiently  high  for  this 
sport,  many  may  be  killed  by  moving  noiselessly  along  the  guts  in 
a  boat  and  keeping  a  sharp  look-out  on  all  sides  for  the  many 
clappers  that  will  ever  and  anon  be  seen  stealing  down  to  the 
water's  edge,  to  drink,  or  to  pick  up  the  small  shell-fish  and  aquatic 
insects  which  are  deposited  upon  the  banks.  A  good  retriever 
would  prove  a  useful  dog  in  these  expeditions,  to  recover  and 
bring  to  hand  the  wounded  birds,  "as  when  only  slightly  struck  the 
clapper-rail  is  very  tenacious  of  life,  and  runs  with  so  much  ease 
through  the  reeds  and  matted  grass  that  few  sportsmen,  no  matter 
how  agile  they  may  be,  can  overtake  them.  The  dog  should  be 
as  small  as  possible ;  otherwise  he  will  not  be  able  to  follow  the 
bird  through  the  twistings  of  the  pathways,  or  rather  archways, 
which  it  forms  all  through  the  reeds. 

The  flight  of  the  clapper-rail  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the  sora ; 
and  being,  if  any  thing,  even  more  slow  and  labored,  it  requires 
but  an  indifi'erent  shot  to  bring  them  down.     We  have  killed  these 


240  lewis's     AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

fowls  often,  when  in  pursuit  of  other  coast-birds,  on  the  marshes 
about  Cape  May  and  Cape  Henlopen,  but  never  thought  it  worth 
while  to  go  a  foot  out  of  our  way  to  procure  them,  as  they  are  at 
best  but  an  unsavory  dish  for  the  table;  and  we  trust  that  we 
have  never  encouraged  the  weasel-like  propensity  to  take  life  from 
sheer  fondness  of  carnage,  or  perhaps  to  indulge  a  morbid  taste  to 
make  a  great  display  by  the  magnitude  of  our  game-bag. 

DESCRIPTION. 

"The  clapper-rail  measures  fourteen  inches  in  length  and 
eighteen  in  extent;  the  bill  is  two  inches  and  a  quarter  long, 
slightly  bent,  pointed,  grooved,  and  of  a  reddish-brown  color ;  iris 
of  the  eye  dark  red;  nostril  oblong,  pervious;  crown,  neck,  and 
back,  black,  streaked  with  dingy  brown;  chin  and  line  over  the 
eye  brownish-white;  auricular  dusky;  neck  before,  and  whole 
breast,  of  the  same  red-brown  as  that  of  the  preceding  species; 
wing-coverts  dark  chestnut;  quill-feathers  plain  dusky;  legs  red- 
dish-brown ;  flanks  and  vent  black,  tipped  or  barred  with  white. 
The  males  and  females  are  nearly  alike. 

"  The  young  birds  of  the  first  year  have  the  upper  parts  of  an 
olive-brown,  streaked  with  pale  slate;  wings  pale-brown  olive; 
chin,  and  part  of  the  throat,  white ;  breast  ash-color,  tinged  with 
brown;  legs  and  feet  a  pale  horn-color." 


CHAPTER   XYI. 

ESQUIMAUX   CURLEW,    OR   SHORT-BILLED   CURLEW.      SCOLOPAX 
BOREALIS. 

"Soothed  by  the  murmurs  of  the  sea-beat  shore, 
His  dun-gray  plumage  floating  to  the  gale, 
The  curlew  blends  his  melancholy  wail 
With  those  hoarse  sounds  the  rushing  waters  pour." 


NOMENCLATURE   AND   DESCRIPTION. 

^^,  HIS  large  and  handsome  bird  is  known  to 
our  shooters  as  the  jack  curlew,  or  short- 
billed  curlew,  in  contradistinction  to  the 
other  variety,  the  Numenius  longerostris, 
or  long-billed  curlew. 

^'The   Esquimaux    curlew  is   eighteen 
inches  long  and  thirty-two  inches  in  ex- 
tent ;  the  bill,  which  is  four  inches  and  a 
half  long,  is  black  towards  the  point,  and  a  pale,  purplish  flesh- 
color  near  the  base ;  upper  part  of  the  head  dark  brown,  divided 


16 


241 


242  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

by  a  narrow  stripe  of  brownish-white;  over  each  eye  extends  a 
broad  line  of  pale  drab ;  iris  dark-colored ;  hind  part  of  the  neck 
streaked  with  dark  brown;  fore-part  and  whole  breast  very  pale 
brown;  upper  part  of  the  body  pale  drab,  centered  and  barred 
with  dark  brown,  and  edged  with  spots  of  white  on  the  exterior 
vanes;  three  primaries  black,  with  white  shafts;  rump  and  tail- 
coverts  barred  with  dark  brown;  belly  white;  vent  the  same, 
marked  with  zigzag  lines  of  brown  on  a  dark  cream  ground;  legs 
and  naked  thighs  a  pale  lead-color." 

This  bird,  like  most  others  of  our  sea-fowl,  is  migratory,  arriving 
in  the  Middle  States  from  the  South  early  in  the  spring,  and  re- 
maining a  short  time,  feeding  on  the  mud-flats  and  salt  marshes, 
in  company  with  various  others  of  the  feathered  race.  After  this 
they  take  up  their  line  of  march  for  the  Far  North,  where  they 
spend  the  summer  in  breeding  and  rearing  their  young.  The 
short-billed  curlews  travel  in  large  bodies,  and  keep  up  a  constant 
whistling  during  their  journeys.  It  is  possible  that  some  few  re- 
main the  whole  summer  through  in  the  marshes  about  Cape  May, 
for  the  purposes  of  incubation:  such,  indeed,  is  the  opinion  of 
those  employed  in  shooting  these  birds  for  the  markets.  We  have 
often  met  with  them  in  the  neighborhood  of  Cape  May  early  in 
July. 

During  the  breeding  season,  curlews  collect  in  immense  numbers 
on  the  Labrador  coast,  where  they  remain  till  the  months  of 
August  and  September,  and  then  leave  in  large  companies  for  the 
South.  During  these  months,  and  until  the  commencement  of  cold 
weather,  curlews  are  very  numerous  on  the  coast  of  New  Jersey 
and  Long  Island,  frequenting  the  salt  marshes  and  flats,  where 
they  find  abundance  of  food,  such  as  marine  worms,  shell-fish,  and 
various  species  of  aquatic  insects,  all  of  which  they  partake  of 
greedily.  On  these  mud-fiats,  where  numberless  varieties  of  sea- 
birds  collect,  are  great  quantities  of  a  particular  kind  of  shell  or 
craw-fish,  vulgarly  called  fiddlers,  upon  which  the  larger  fowls 
prey  and  soon  become  fat.  This  dainty  food,  however,  though 
very  nutritious  and  excellent,  does  not  improve  the  flavor  of  the 


ESQUIMAUX    OR    SHORT-BILLED    CURLEW.  243 

bird,  as  their  meat  soon  becomes  coarse  and  sedgy  after  their  arri- 
val among  us.  In  the  North,  they  keep  more  to  the  open  grounds 
of  the  interior,  and  consequently  feed  chiefly  on  seeds,  insects,  and 
berries.  Their  flesh  at  such  times  is  pronounced  delicious,  and 
even  delicate.  We  have  shot  them  within  a  few  days  after  their 
arrival  among  us  from  the  North,  and  always  found  them  more 
palatable  than  at  any  other  time.  When  these  birds  associate 
with  field-plovers  and  frequent  the  meadow-lands,  their  flesh  is 
quite  passable,  and  even  sometimes  quite  savory;  but  it  is  not 
often  that  they  are  found  in  such  good  company.  Curlews  are 
very  shy,  and  require  much  caution  to  approach.  They  fly  with 
great  rapidity  when  frightened,  and  require  a  good  blow  to  bring 
them  down.  There  are  many  ways  of  shooting  this  bird:  the 
favorite  plan  is  rowing  through  the  inlets  and  guts  in  a  boat,  and 
killing  them  as  they  fly  backward  and  forward  to  their  diff'erent 
feeding-grounds,  or  coming  upon  them  by  stealth,  when,  unsus- 
picious of  danger,  they  are  socially  feeding,  in  company  with  other 
waders,  on  the  insects  and  shell-fish  that  they  find  on  the  bars  and 
points  along  the  creeks.  Great  caution,  silence,  and  a  consider- 
able degree  of  manoeuvring,  are  necessary  to  follow  this  sport  with 
much  success,  as  these  birds  are  extremely  shy  and  easily  put  to 
flight.  When  approaching  them,  keep  near  to  the  shore,  and  also 
under  cover  of  the  land:  it  will  also  be  frequently  necessary  to 
get  out  of  the  boat  and  make  a  long  detour,  so  as  to  get  in  the 
rear  of  the  birds :  we  have  often  obtained  a  raking  shot  at  beach- 
fowl  in  this  way. 

If  one  be  wounded,  he  should  be  made  use  of  as  a  decoy  for 
others,  as  they  are  very  kindly  in  their  feelings,  and  show  a  great 
desire  always  to  assist  a  distressed  companion,  whom  they  will  fly 
around  for  a  considerable  time,  and  thus  ofi"er  many  opportunities 
to  kill  several  before  leaving  the  spot.  For  all  kinds  of  coast- 
birds,  when  shooting  from  a  boat,  it  is  best  to  have  a  gun  in  re- 
serve, as  the  most  of  them  are  enticed  within  reach  by  the  cries  of 
a  winged  bird,  and  the  second  volley  in  such  cases  is  oftentimes 
the  most  destructive. 


244  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

The  great  mistake  that  city  shooters  make  in  pursuing  coast- 
birds  is  in  the  size  of  the  guns  which  they  make  use  of.  Partridge- 
guns  are  not  suitable  for  this  kind  of  sport ;  neither  are  the  full 
duck-guns  the  proper  weapon.  A  medium-sized  gun  is  the  proper 
instrument:  it  should  not  be  too  light,  or  the  bore  too  small,  and 
above  all  it  should  be  forged  to  throw  the  shot  with  great  force  at 
long  distances.  When  going  along  the  inlets  in  a  boat,  keep  a 
bright  look-out  on  the  marshes  adjoining  the  stream,  and  you  will 
often  discover  two  or  three  suspicious-looking  heads  peering  up 
from  among  the  high  grass,  within  a  short  distance  of  the  banks, 
offering  an  easy  shot  to  the  marksman.  We  have  obtained  many  a 
good  shot  in  this  way  which  otherwise  would  have  been  passed  by. 
This  bird  is  not  the  same  with  the  Scolopax  phaepus,  or  whimbrel 
of  England,  as  originally  supposed,  but  proves  to  be  an  entirely 
distinct  species. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


LONG-BILLED   CURLEW,  OR   SICKLE-BILL.      NUMENIUS   LONGIROSTRIS. 


HABITS   AND   DESCRIPTION. 

HIS  variety  of  curlew  is  larger  than  the 
preceding   species,  but   not,    perhaps,  as 
numerous;    it   is  a  beautiful   and  noble- 
looking  bird.     The  habits  of  the  sickle- 
bills    are    very   similar   to    those  of  the 
short-billed;     they     frequent     the     salt 
marshes   and   sea-shore   about   the   same 
time  as  the  other  bird,  and  we  are  sur- 
prised  to  learn  from  Mr.  Giraud's  work  that  numbers  of  them  re- 
main on  Folly  Island,  near  Charleston,  during  the  season  of  nidifi- 
cation,  for  the  purposes  of  procreation, 

"The  long-billed   curlew  is  twenty-five  inches   in  length   and 

three  feet  three  inches  in  extent,  and  when  in  good  order  weighs 

245 


246  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

about  thirty  ounces ;  but  individuals  differ  greatly  in  this  respect. 
The  bill  is  eight  inches  long,  nearly  straight  for  half  its  length, 
thence  curving  considerably  downwards  to  its  extremity,  where  it 
ends  in  an  obtuse  knob  that  overhangs  the  lower  mandible;  the 
color  black,  except  towards  the  base  of  the  lower,  where  it  is  of  a 
pale  flesh-color ;  tongue  extremely  short,  differing  in  this  from  the 
snipe ;  eye  dark ;  the  general  color  alone  of  the  plumage  above  is 
black,  spotted,  and  barred  along  the  edge  of  each  feather  with  pale 
brown ;  chin,  line  over  the  eye,  and  round  the  same,  pale  brownish- 
white;  neck,  reddish-brown,  streaked  with  black;  spots  on  the 
breast  more  sparingly  dispersed;  belly,  thighs,  and  vent,  pale, 
plain  rufous,  without  any  spots;  primaries  black  on  the  outer 
edges,  pale  brown  on  the  inner,  and  barred  with  black ;  legs  and 
naked  thighs  very  pale  light  blue  or  lead-color;  the  middle  toe 
connected  with  the  two  outer  ones  as  far  as  the  first  joint  by  a 
membrane,  and  bordered  along  the  sides  with  a  thick,  warty  edge ; 
lining  of  the  wing  dark  rufous,  approaching  a  chestnut,  and  thinly 
spotted  with  black.     The  male  and  female  alike  in  plumage,  &c." 

This  bird  resembles  somewhat  the  English  curlew,  (Scolopax 
aquata ;)  but  the  difference  in  the  plumage  and  length  of  the  bill  is 
sufficient  to  mark  it  as  a  distinct  species.  The  English  curlew 
weighs  about  the  same  with  the  American;  the  bill,  however,  is 
two  inches  shorter.  During  the  season  of  brambleberries,  the  cur- 
lews sometimes  desert  the  marshes  and  fens,  and  resort  to  the  old 
fields  to  partake  of  this  fruit,  and  are  then  free  from  that  strong, 
sedgy  taste  which  they  acquire  while  feeding  on  fiddlers,  snails, 
shell-fish,  and  other  strong  food. 

These  birds,  like  all  their  congeners,  are  very  shy  and  hard  to 
approach.  They  are  often  shot  down  when  in  company  on  the  sand- 
flats  with  other  less  wary  fowls;  they  are  easily  decoyed,  while 
flying,  by  imitating  their  whistle,  with  which  most  of  our  coast- 
shooters  are  familiar,  and  who  often  draw  them  a  considerable  dis- 
tance from  their  course  by  sounding  their  expressive  notes.  All  sea- 
birds  should  be  fired  upon  while  going  from  us,  as  they  are  more 
easily  killed  by  striking  them  with  the  feathers  than  against  them. 


LONG-BILLED    CURLEW,    OR    SICKLE-BILL.  247 

The  long-billed  curlew  requires  a  very  hard  rap  to  bring  him 
down,  and  will  often  carry  off  several  large  pellets  with  him.  They 
usually  fly  very  high  and  with  great  velocity,  and,  when  in  com- 
panies, adopt  the  wedge  form,  like  ducks. 

These  birds  are  pursued  upon  our  coast  like  other  sea-fowls, 
either  in  boats  or  by  tramping  over  the  marshes.  A  pit  dug  in 
the  marsh  adjoining  some  favorite  feeding-ground  or  point  is  an 
excellent  plan  to  shoot  all  kinds  of  bay-fowl. 

Another  variety  of  curlew,  known  as  the  doe-bird,  is  often  shot 
by  the  bay-shooters ;  it  is  smaller  than  either  of  the  two  preceding 
varieties.  It  is  also  termed  the  jack-curlew.  Its  habits  are  the 
same,  and  it  associates  with  the  other  two  species. 


CHAPTER  XVIIL 

BLACK-BELLIED   PLOVER.    CHARADRIUS   APRICARIUS. 

"  O'er  the  flat  marsh  we  mark  the  plovers  sweep, 
And,  clustering  close,  their  wheeling  courses  keep." 


THEIR   HABITS,  ETC. 

LACK-BELLIED  PLOVERS,  being  well 
known  to  most  of  our  sportsmen,  are 
eagerly  sought  after  wherever  they  make 
their  appearance.  These  birds  return 
from  the  South  early  in  May,  and  re- 
main but  a  short  period  upon  the  sea- 
coast  ;  they  then  retire  to  the  high  upland 
districts  to  breed  and  rear  their  young, 
and  during  this  season  feed  upon  berries,  grasshoppers,  and 
various  insects,  and  become  very  fat  and  good-flavored.  At  this 
time  more  particularly  they  are  known  as  the  old  field-plover,  or 
whistling   plover.      Towards  August  or   September,  in  company 

with  the  young  birds,  they  resort  to  the  sea-shore,  and  soon  be- 
248 


BLACK-BELLIED    PLOVER.  249 

come  sedgy  from  the  change  of  food.  The  plumage  of  the  young 
bird  is  quite  dissimilar  to  that  of  the  adult  bird,  in  fact  so  much  so 
that  they  are  frequently  considered  a  distinct  species,  and  are  then 
known  as  the  "bull  or  beetle-headed  plover."  Plovers  generally 
fly  high,  and  keep  up  an  incessant  whistling,  which  being  repeated 
be  the  sportsman,  the  birds  are  easily  decoyed  within  gunshot. 
They  are  very  shy  when  feeding,  and  extreme  care  is  requisite  to 
approach  them.  When  on  the  sea-shore,  they  may  be  shot  by  the 
same  artifices  resorted  to  for  the  killing  of  curlews  or  other  sea- 
birds.  When  on  the  open  plains,  where  they  are  still  more  difficult 
to  be  got  at,  the  use  of  a  stalking-horse  is  an  excellent  plan  by 
which  to  circumvent  them,  and  is  recommended  as  a  highly  suc- 
cessful mode  of  killing  them. 

A  most  capital  manoeuvre,  and  one  adopted  by  some  of  our 
sporting  friends  in  the  country,  is  to  approach  them  in  a  careless 
manner,  either  in  an  old  wagon  or  cart,  or  on  horseback,  as  they 
seldom  take  alarm  at  a  horse  or  a  vehicle  of  any  description. 

Plovers  require  a  very  hard  rap  to  bring  them  down.  This 
variety  is  known  in  England. 

As  soon  as  the  cold  weather  sets  in,  these  birds  move  off  to  the 
South. 

DESCRIPTION. 

"This  species  is  twelve  inches  long  and  twenty-four  inches  in 
extent ;  the  bill  is  thick,  deeply  grooved  on  the  upper  mandible, 
an  inch  and  a  quarter  in  length,  and  of  a  black  color;  the  head 
and  globe  of  the  eye  are  both  remarkably  large,  the  latter  deep 
bluish-black  ;  forehead  white  ;  crown  and  hind-head  black,  spotted 
with  golden  yellow;  back  and  scapulars  dusky,  sprinkled  with  the 
same  golden  or  orange-colored  spots,  mixed  with  others  of  white ; 
breast,  belly,  and  vent,  black ;  sides  of  the  breast  whitish ;  wing- 
quills  black ;  middle  of  the  shafts  white ;  greater  coverts  black, 
tipped  with  white  ;  lining  of  the  wing  black ;  tail  regularly  barred 
with  blackish  and  pure  white ;  tail-coverts  pure  white ;  legs  and 
feet  a  dusky  lead-color;  the  exterior-toe  joined  to  the  middle  by  a 
broad  membrane ;  hind  toe  very  small. 


250  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

"From  the  length  of  time  which  these  birds  take  to  acquire 
their  full  colors,  they  are  found  in  very  various  stages  of  plumage. 
The  breast  and  belly  are  at  first  white,  gradually  appear  mottled 
with  black,  and  finally  become  totally  black.  The  spots  of  orange 
or  golden  on  the  crown,  hind-head,  and  back,  are  at  first  white, 
and  sometimes  even  the  breast  itself  is  marked  with  these  spots, 
mingled  among  the  black.  In  every  stage,  the  seemingly  dispro- 
portionate size  of  the  head  and  thickness  of  the  bill  will  distinguish 
this  species." 


GOLDEN  PLOVER.      CHARADRIUS  PLUVIALIS. 
HABITS,  NOMENCLATURE,  ETC. 

These  birds  are  more  beautiful  in  their  plumage  than  the  latter 
variety,  but  somewhat  smaller ;  they  are  also  far  less  numerous. 
Their  habits,  however,  are  pretty  much  the  same,  perhaps  more 
gregarious,  as  they  are  often  seen  in  considerable  flocks  on  the  sea- 
board. The  notes  of  the  golden  plover  are  less  shrill  and  piping 
than  those  of  the  black-bellied  plover ;  they  are  less  timid,  and 
more  easily  decoyed.  These  birds  are  often  taken  for  the  young 
of  the  other  variety.  They  are  known  as  "frost-birds"  in  the 
neighborhood  of  New  York,  from  the  circumstance  of  their  being 
more  abundant  about  the  time  of  the  early  frosts  of  autumn,  when 
they  are  also  in  good  condition.  The  golden  plover  resorts  to  the 
upland  meadows  in  search  of  berries  and  grasshoppers,  to  both  of 
which  it  is  very  partial.     The  flesh  of  these  birds  in  the  early 


GOLDEN    PLOVER.  251 

autumn  is  most  excellent,  and  they  always  command  a  good  price 
when  exposed  for  sale  in  our  markets.  As  the  weather  gets  cold 
they  pass  on  to  the  Far  South.  They  breed  in  regions  beyond  the 
United  States ;  they  are  never  very  numerous  in  the  Middle  or 
Eastern  States,  and,  their  flesh  being  savory,  they  are  highly 
prized.* 

DESCRIPTION. 

"  The  golden  plover  is  ten  inches  and  a  half  long  and  twenty- 
one  inches  in  extent ;  bill  short,  of  a  dusky  slate-color ;  eye  very 
large,  blue-black ;  nostrils  placed  in  a  deep  furrow  and  half 
covered  with  a  prominent  membrane;  whole  upper  parts  black, 
thickly  marked  with  roundish  spots  of  various  tints  of  golden- 
yellow  ;  wing-coverts  and  hind  part  of  the  neck  pale  brown,  the 
latter  streaked  with  yellow ;  front,  broad  line  over  the  eye,  chin, 
and  sides  of  the  same,  yellowish-white,  streaked  with  small  pointed 
spots  of  brown  olive ;  breast  gray,  with  olive  and  white ;  sides 
under  the  wings  marked  thinly  with  transverse  bars  of  pale  olive ; 
belly  and  vent  white ;  wing-quills  black,  the  middle  of  the  shafts 
marked  with  white ;  greater  coverts  black,  tipped  with  white ;  tail 
rounded,  black,  barred  with  triangular  spots  of  golden-yellow ; 
legs  dark  dusky  slate ;  feet  three-toed,  with  generally  the  slight 
rudiments  of  a  heel ;  the  outer  toe  connected  as  far  as  the  first 
joint  with  the  middle  one.  The  male  and  female  differ  very  little 
in  color." 

There  are  several  other  varieties  of  plover  known  to  our  gunners ; 
the  flesh  of  the  most  of  them  is  equally  good,  and  when  in  season 
is  highly  prized  by  the  epicure.  The  two  above  described,  how- 
ever, are  the  largest  and  most  distinguished  of  the  species ;  the 
others  are  known  as  the  ring-plover,  piping-plover,  kildeer-plover, 
Wilson's  plover,  grass  or  field-plover,  &c. 

The  last-named  variety,  Tringa  bartramiana,  is  not  a  coast  or 


*  The  golden  plover  frequents  tne  sea-coast  of  the  Middle  and  Eastern  States  in 
the  spring  and  early  summer ;  during  the  autumn  they  resort  to  the  prairies  and 
interior  feeding-grounds. 


252 


LEWIS   S    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


marsh  bird.  They  are  found  most  commonly  on  the  inland  mea- 
dows and  old  upland  fields,  where  they  feed  on  grasshoppers, 
beetles,  and  the  various  insects  that  inhabit  such  situations.  They 
are  very  much  esteemed  by  epicures,  their  flesh  being  delicate, 
juicy,  tender,  and  high-flavored.  The  whole  species  are  wild, 
wary,  cunning,  and  difficult  to  be  approached. 


CHAPTER   XX.    a 


SEMIPALMATA. 


SCOLOPAX 


tion. 


HABITS,  DESCRIPTION,  ETC. 

S  before  stated,  the  snipe  family  is  ex- 
tremely numerous  throughout  this  coun- 
try, and  the  number  .and  variety  of 
birds  of  this  species  that  flock  to  our 
sea-coast  during  the  summer  and  autumn 
is  almost  incredible. 

Among  these  shore  or  bay  fowls  there 
is  none  more  conspicuous  or  more  sought 
after  than  the  one  now  under  considera- 

The  shrill  and  incessant  cry  of  the  willet  is  well  known  to 

253 


254  lewis's   amekican   sportsman. 

every  frequenter  of  the  salt  marslies  throughout  the  States  of 
New  York,  New  Jersey,  and  Delaware ;  and  this  familiarity  with 
the  peculiar  call  of  this  wary  bird  is  turned  to  terrible  account 
against  them,  as  they  are  easily  deceived  and  decoyed  within  reach 
of  the  treacherous  gun  by  the  skilful  imitations  of  the  shooters. 

The  willet  is  not  known  in  England,  nor  is  there  any  bird  in 
the  country  with  which  it  may  be  said  to  correspond.  Temmick, 
however,  notices  it  as  an  accidental  straggler  among  the  birds  of 
Europe.  Willets  come  from  the  South  about  the  middle  of  April, 
and  soon  make  preparations  for  laying;  their  nests  are  built  in 
the  marshes,  upon  the  tussocks  and  other  little  eminences  of  earth 
and  herbage  that  are  scattered  about  in  the  dryer  places.  The 
nest  generally  contains  four  tapering  dark-colored  eggs,  which,  like 
those  of  the  mud-hen,  are  said  to  be  good  eating ;  in  fact,  we 
know  them  to  be  very  excellent,  as  we  have  partaken  of  them, 
although  we  did  not  assist  in  the  destruction  of  the  nests  from 
which  they  were  filched.  This  bird,  with  most  others  that  build  on 
the  marshes,  suffers  greatly  during  the  period  of  incubation  from 
the  attacks  of  crows,  weasels  and  foxes,  and  other  animals,  which 
devour  numberless  eggs  as  well  as  young  willets. 

These  fowls  feed  on  small  shell-fish  and  the  innumerable  variety 
of  aquatic  insects  and  worms  found  on  the  marshes ;  the  flesh 
consequently  is  sedgy,  though  not  fishy.  Young  willets  are 
juicy  and  tender,  and  perhaps  more  esteemed  than  any  other  of 
the  shore-birds ;  and,  when  cooked  properly,  are  quite  passable 
when  no  other  kind  of  game  is  to  be  had ;  in  fact,  we  have  heard 
many  of  our  sporting  friends  really  extol  these  birds  when  served 
up,  and  hunt  as  eagerly  after  them  as  if  they  possessed  the  deli- 
cacy and  game-flavor  of  the  woodcock. 

Willets  remain  with  us  till  October  and  November,  and  some- 
times later,  if  the  weather  continues  agreeable.  They  are  shot 
during  low  tide,  on  the  marshes  and  flats,  and  when  flying  are 
easily  decoyed  by  imitating  their  whistle,  which  is  thought  to 
resemble  the  following  combinations: — Pill-will-willet,  pill-will- 
ivillet . 


WILLET,    OR    STONE-CURLEW.  255 

Shooters  most  frequently  go  after  these  birds  in  small  boats,  on 
the  inlets  and  guts  that  intersect  the  marshes  which  they,  in  com- 
mon with  curlews,  plover,  &c.  frequent. 

DESCRIPTION. 

"  Length  fifteen  inches  ;  extent  thirty  inches ;  upper  parts  dark 
olive-brown;  the  feathers  streaked  down  the  centre  and  crossed 
with  waving  lines  of  black;  wing-coverts  light  olive-ash,  and  the 
whole  upper  parts  sprinkled  with  touches  of  dull  yellowish-white; 
primaries  black,  white  at  the  root-half;  secondaries  white,  bordered 
with  brown ;  rump  dark  brown :  tail  rounded,  twelve  feathers  pale 
olive,  waved  with  bars  of  black;  tail-coverts  white,  barred  with 
olive;  bill  pale  lead-color,  becoming  black  towards  the  tip;  eye 
very  black  ;  chin  white  ;  breast  beautifully  mottled  with  transverse 
spots  of  olive  on  a  cream  ground ;  belly  and  vent  white,  the  last 
barred  with  olive ;  legs  and  feet  pale  lead-color ;  toes  half-webbed. 

"  Towards  the  fall,  when  these  birds  associate  in  large  flocks, 
they  become  of  a  pale  dun  color  above,  the  plumage  being  shafted 
with  dark  brown,  and  the  tail  white,  or  nearly  so.  At  this  season 
they  are  extremely  fat,  and  esteemed  excellent  eating.  Ex- 
perienced gunners  always  select  the  lightest-colored  ones  from  a 
flock,  as  being  uniformly  the  fattest.  The  female  of  this  species  is 
generally  larger  than  the  male.' 

Willets,  as  other  shore-birds,  have  a  strong  afiection  for  their 
young,  or  for  a  companion  in  distress,  and  are  ever  ready  to  turn 
from  their  course  to  ofier  assistance  at  the  first  call  for  aid,  regard- 
less of  all  consequences. 


256  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


RED-BREASTED    SNIPE.      SCOLOPAX    NOVEBORACENSIS. 
HABITS,    NOMENCLATURE,    ETC. 

This  snipe  resembles  very  much  in  size  and  plumage  the  com- 
mon snipe,  more  particularly  when  in  its  winter  plumage;  it  is, 
however,  altogether  different  in  its  habits,  as  well  as  in  the  flavor 
of  its  flesh.  The  English  or  Wilson  snipe  frequents  fresh-water 
marshes  only,  while  the  present  species  confines  itself  almost 
exclusively  to  the  salt  marshes  of  our  Atlantic  States.  The  Eng- 
lish snipe  is  mostly  a  solitary  bird,  while  the  red-breasted  snipes 
congregate  in  immense  flocks  upon  the  mud-flats  and  sand-bars. 
This  snipe,  we  believe,  is  known  to  our  coast-shooters  as  the  brown 
back,  or  dowitcher,  and  we  have  at  times  found  it  more  palatable 
than  any  other  kinds  of  sea-bird,  although  considerably  smaller 
than  the  curlew,  willet,  or  plover.  Being  so  much  smaller  than  these 
birds,  this  snipe  is  not  so  much  sought  after  as  some  others ;  we, 
however,  never  let  an  opportunity  pass  to  bring  them  to  bag, 
when  on  these  excursions,  oftentimes  in  preference  to  the  other 
birds,  which  are  always  far  more  sedgy,  and  not  unfrequently 
fishy  besides. 

The  red-breasted,  or,  as  they  are  also  called,  the  quail  snipes, 
arrive  on  the  coast  of  Jersey  from  the  South  on  their  way  to  their 
breeding-grounds  farther  north,  about  the  first  week  in  May,  re- 
main a  short  time,  and  then  stretch  off  for  the  Canadas.  Towards 
the  middle  of  July  they  commence  returning  in  increased  numbers, 
and  remain  feeding  on  the  marshes  till  the  commencement  of  the 
cold  weather,  when  they  take  themselves  to  the  South.  These 
snipes  fly  in  large  flocks,  and  feed  in  thick  masses  upon  the  points, 
and  will  often  allow  a  boat  to  approach  sufficiently  near  to  give 
them  a  raking  s%>t  fore  and  aft,  that  not  unfrequently  spreads 
death  and  destruction  through  the  greater  portion  of  their  affrighted 
ranks.     We  were  present  on  one  occasion  when  twenty-three  of 


RED-BREASTED    SNIPE.  257 

these  birds  were  killed  at  one  discharge  of  a  large-sized  fowling- 
piece;  and  we  have  killed,  repeatedly,  six  or  eight  at  a  shot. 

They  are  certainly  far  less  wary  than  most  other  shore-birds, 
and  when  feeding  in  company  are  always  the  last  to  take  the 
alarm;  they  are  easily  deceived  by  the  bay-shooters,  and  many 
fall  victims  to  the  treacherous  decoys. 

Their  food  consists  of  small  snails,  and  aquatic  insects  that  are 
washed  up  by  the  tide. 

DESCRIPTION. 

"The  red-breasted  snipe  is  ten  inches  and  a  half  long  and 
eighteen  inches  in  extent;  the  bill  is  about  two  inches  and  a 
quarter  in  length,  straight,  grooved,  black  towards  the  point,  and 
of  a  dirty  eel-skin-color  at  the  base,  where  it  is  tumid  and  wrinkled ; 
lores  dusky;  cheeks  and  eyebrows  pale  yellowish- white,  mottled 
with  specks  of  black ;  throat  and  breast  a  reddish-buff  color ;  sides 
white,  barred  with  black ;  belly  and  vent  white,  the  latter  barred 
with  dusky ;  crown,  neck  above,  back,  scapulars,  and  tertials  black, 
edged,  mottled,  and  marbled  with  yellowish-white,  pale  and  bright 
ferruginous,  much  in  the  same  manner  as  the  common  snipe ;  wings 
plain  olive,  the  secondaries  centred  and  bordered  with  white ;  shaft 
of  the  first  quill  very  white;  rump,  tail-coverts,  and  tail,  (which 
consists  of  twelve  feathers,)  white,  thickly  spotted  with  black ;  legs 
and  feet  dull  yellowish-green ;  outer  toe  united  to  the  middle  one 
by  a  small  membrane ;  eye  very  dark.  The  female  is  paler  on  the 
back  and  less  ruddy  on  the  breast." 


OTHER  VARIETIES   OF  SHORE-BIRDS. 

There  are  several  other  varieties  of  the  snipe  species  that  sports- 
men eagerly  seek  after  while  shooting  on  the  sea-shore  marshes ; 
it  cannot  be  expected  of  us,  however,  to  describe  all  these  birds. 
We  shall,  therefore,  be  forced  to  pass  them  by  with  two  exceptions, 

namely,  the 

17 


258  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


SCOLOPAX  FLAVIPES — YELLOW-SHANKS  SNIPE;  AND  SCOLOPAX  VOCI- 
FERUS — TELLTALE  SNIPE,  GODWIT,  OR  GREATER  YELLOW-SHANKS 
SNIPE. 

Both  these  birds  are  well  but  not  favorably  known  to  the  market 
shooters  of  Philadelphia  and  New  York,  as  they  are  extremely  shy 
and  very  vigilant,  and  often  give  notice,  by  their  shrill  whistle,  of  the 
approach  of  the  pot-hunter  when  he  would  not  have  been  observed 
by  the  less  wary  fowl  feeding  around.  This  habit  of  timely  warn- 
ing their  careless  companions  of  the  danger  that  is  encompassing 
them  has  given  rise  to  their  respective  appellations  of  Greater  or 
Lesser  Telltale.  Notwithstanding  their  uncommon  vigilance,  they 
are,  nevertheless,  often  brought  to  bag,  and  in  the  autumn  their 
flesh  is  not  unfrequently  very  savory.  These  birds  resemble  each 
other  so  very  much  in  their  general  appearance  and  plumage  that 
the  difference  in  their  size  alone  is  the  most  distinguishing  charac- 
teristic. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 


WILD-FOWL   SHOOTING.    .7  _ 


But  hark !  what  sound  is  that  approaching  near  ? 
'Down  close!'     The  wild  ducks  come,  and,  darting  down, 
Throw  up  on  every  side  the  troubled  wave, 
Then  gayly  swim  around  with  idle  play." 


THIS   AMUSEMENT   IN   AMERICA. 


ILD-FOWL  shooting,  though  not  as  popu- 
lar or  followed  with  the  same  zest  by  the 
-portsmen  of  America  as  it  is  by  those 
of  England  and  other  countries,  is  never- 
theless every  season  attracting  increased 
.  —*         ^  attention  to  its  real  merits  as  a  manly 
^    ~    l\d      ^H/=^J^=^  ~    and  exciting  sport;    and   no   doubt,   as 
the    conveniences  for   visitmg    our   bay 
and  sea-shores  become  more  widely  diffused  throughout  the  various 
portions  of   our  Atlantic  States,  by  the  opening  of  new  steam- 
boat and  railroad  routes,  our  pleasure-loving  and  novelty-seeking 


-V 


>59 


260  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

people  will  flock  to  the  secluded  haunts  of  the  wild  fowl  much 
more  generally  than  they  do  at  present.  When  a  fondness  for 
this  kind  of  sport  is  once  awakened  among  us,  we  may  expect 
to  see  our  shooters  excel  those  of  any  other  portion  of  the  world, 
owing  to  the  great  abundance  of  this  kind  of  game,  the  freedom 
with  which  they  can  pursue  it,  and  the  enthusiasm  with  which  they 
will  take  it  up.  This  sport,  at  present,  is  almost  entirely  confined 
to  the  hands  of  those  who  follow  the  occupation  of  killing  wild 
fowl  not  from  motives  of  pleasure  or  healthful  recreation,  but  as  a 
means  of  subsistence  for  themselves  and  families ;  and  the  tables 
of  our  epicures  are  generally  supplied  from  this  source. 

Some  few  of  the  New  York  sportsmen  occasionally  sally  forth 
during  the  ducking  season  to  spend  a  few  days  in  shooting  upon 
the  neighboring  shores,  but  the  sport  is  not  considered  sufiiciently 
enticing  to  carry  them  very  often  on  such  expeditions.  We  also 
have  a  few  amateurs  in  Philadelphia  who  are  fond  of  visiting  the 
wild-fowl  regions,  but  none  that  are  very  enthusiastic  on  the  sub- 
ject, like  Colonel  Hawker  and  many  other  Englishmen,  who  have 
devoted  so  much  time  and  talent  to  the  perfecting  of  this  branch 
of  sport. 

Duck-shooting,  to-be-sure,  is  no  child's  play ;  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, is  often  attended  with  many  mishaps,  great  hardships,  and 
constant  exposure  to  the  elements,  and  withal  frequently  results 
in  fisherman's  luck,  so  often  quoted.  No  true  lover  of  sport, 
however,  should  be  intimidated,  or,  in  fact,  object  to  these  petty 
inconveniences,  as  it  is  these  very  circumstances  that  afibrd  the 
chief  enjoyment  and  give  a  keener  relish  to  this  pursuit,  which 
will  in  time  inure  him  both  in  body  and  mind  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  greater  and  more  lasting  benefits  than  the  mere  destruc- 
tion of  game.  We  cannot  expect  to  arrive  at  perfection  in  any 
employment  without  a  becoming  share  of  labor  and  perseverance ; 
and  in  the  pursuit  of  ducks  the  shooter  will  find  a  wide  field  open 
for  the  exercise  of  both  these  virtues,  as  well  as  many  other  qua- 
lifications alike  necessary  for  the  attainment  of  nobler  deeds.  It 
is  indeed  necessary  for  a  sportsman,  to  enjoy  this  kind  of  amuse- 


WILD-FOWL    SHOOTING.  261 

ment,  to  become  accustomed  to  all  kinds  of  hardships, — to  care 
neither  for  the  peltings  of  the  rain,  the  driving  of  the  snow, 
whistling  of  the  wind,  or  the  freezing  of  the  water.  All  such 
accompaniments  to  his  pursuits  must  be  despised,  and  not  regarded 
as  barriers  to  his  enjoyments ;  but,  as  before  intimated,  their  presence 
must  be  viewed  as  imparting  a  keener  zest  to  the  pleasure  of  the 
sport.  With  feelings  akin  to  these,  the  sportsman  is  prepared  to 
enter  upon  the  hardy  and  exciting  occupation  of  wild-fowl  shoot- 
ing in  all  its  branches  during  the  cold  winter  months  of  our 
northern  country ;  and  such  a  choice  spirit  will  derive  both  plea- 
sure and  healthful  recreation  in  the  pursuit. 

It  is  almost  unnecessary  to  tell  the  sportsman  that  he  must  be 
provided  with  many  essentials  to  assist  him  in  holding  the  elements 
at  defiance,  aiid  resort  to  every  expedient  to  protect  his  ammuni- 
tion from  dampness,  his  gun  from  rust,  and  his  own  person  from 
the  effects  of  the  cold  and  rain  to  which  he  will  often  be  exposed 
during  these  excursions.  Water-proof  boots,  water-proof  coats, 
woollen  shirts,  drawers  and  stockings,  and  warm  gloves,  are  all 
necessary  accompaniments  to  a  ducker's  wardrobe ;  and,  without 
these  essentials  and  a  strong  heart  besides,  he  had  better  not  enter 
upon  the  rough-and-tumble  sport  of  wild-fowl  shooting  as  followed 
by  an  old  campaigner. 

A  flask  of  good  spirits  is  also  an  important  accompaniment  to 
the  other  necessaries,  but  which,  by-the-by,  should  be  resorted  to 
as  seldom  as  possible ;  for  the  use  of  liquor  during  active  exercise 
often  creates  an  unnatural  thirst,  which,  if  indulged  in  to  an 
extent  sufficient  to  produce  a  flush  on  the  cheek  or  a  glow  on  the 
body,  will  most  assuredly  make  the  eye  uncertain  or  the  hand 
unsteady,  and,  moreover,  prove  otherwise  injurious  by  opening  the 
pores  of  the  system  and  making  the  shooter  more  susceptible  to 
the  effects  of  cold.  We  have  spoken  more  fully  on  this  subject  in 
our  hygienic  directions. 


262  lewis's     AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 


CHESAPEAKE    BAY. 

"Above,  around,  in  numerous  flocks  are  seen 
Long  lines  of  ducks  o'er  this  their  favorite  scene." 

There  is  no  place  in  our  wide  extent  of  country  where  wild- 
fowl shooting  is  followed  with  so  much  ardor  as  on  the  Chesapeake 
Bay  and  its  tributaries,  not  only  by  those  who  make  a  comfortable 
living  from  the  business,  but  also  by  gentlemen  who  resort  to  these 
waters  from  all  parts  of  the  adjoining  States  to  participate  in 
the  enjoyments  of  this  far-famed  ducking-ground.  All  species 
of  wild  fowl  resort  to  these  waters  in  numbers  beyond  credence 
or  computation ;  and  it  is  really  necessary  for  a  stranger  to  visit 
these  regions  if  he  wishes  to  form  a  just  idea  of  the  wonderful 
multitudes  and  numberless  varieties  of  ducks  that  darken  these 
waters  and  hover  in  interminable  flocks  over  these  favored  feeding- 
grounds.  It  is  not,  however,  the  variety  or  extraordinary  number 
of  ducks  on  the  Chesapeake  that  particularly  attracts  the  steps  of 
so  many  shooters  to  these  parts,  as  there  are  other  rivers  and 
streams,  equally  accessible,  where  wild  fowl  also  abound.  But  the 
great  magnet  that  makes  these  shores  the  centre  of  attraction  is 
the  presence  of  the  far-famed  canvas-back,  that  here  alone  ac- 
quires its  peculiar  delicacy  of  flavor  while  feeding  upon  the  shoals 
and  flats  of  these  waters.  It  is  in  quest  of  these  noble  ducks  that 
so  many  repair  annually  to  the  shores  of  the  Chesapeake  and  its 
numerous  tributaries,  regardless  of  the  myriads  of  other  fowl 
which  are  seen  around  on  every  side.  The  shooter  alone  taxes  all 
his  energies  for  the  destruction  of  this  one  variety,  regarding  all 
others  with  contempt,  and  as  hardly  worthy  of  powder  and  shot. 
The  month  of  October  has  hardly  set  in  before  the  immense  host 
of  ducks  commence  arriving  from  the  North  in  the  waters  of  the 
Chesapeake.  Among  the  first  of  these  welcome  visitors  will  be 
seen  the  Anas  albeola,  commonly  known  as  the  butter-ball,  and 
whose  sharp  and  quick  note — quack  !  quack  !  quack  ! — is  soon  heard 
throughout  the  neighboring  streams  and  marshes,  as  they  ever  and 
anon  spring  up  and  dart  ofl*  with  amazing  velocity.     Now  may  be 


WILD-FOWL    SHOOTING.  263 

seen  the  Anas  boschas,  known  as  the  wild  drake  or  mallard ;  the 
Anas  glacialis,  south-southerly  or  long-tailed  duck,  with  its  sin- 
gular and  discordant  notes;  and  a  few  others.  As  the  season 
progresses,  the  cold  blasts  of  the  North  bring  down  in  regular 
succession  the  sprightly  little  Anas  mavilla,  black-head  or  blue- 
bill  ;  the  cunning  Anas  Americana,  American  widgeon  or  ball-pate ; 
the  poaching  Anas  ferina,  or  red-head ;  the  wary  Anas  Canadensis, 
or  Canada  goose ;  the  graceful  Cygnus  Americanus,  or  American 
swan ;  and,  last,  but  not  least,  the  Anas  valisineria,  or  canvas-back. 
Now  it  is  that  the  waters  of  the  Chesapeake  are  filled  to  repletion 
with  the  armies  of  ducks  that  collect  on  the  flats  and  shoals  where 
the  juicy  blades  of  the  valisineria  flourish  in  the  greatest  pro- 
fusion. Now  it  is  that  the  shores  are  thickly  strewed  with  the 
remnants  of  this  aquatic  plant,  pulled  up  from  its  soft  bed.  Now 
it  is  that  the  waters  of  the  bay  are  darkened  by  the  flights  of  the 
winged  host  travelling  hither  and  thither  in  search  of  food.  Now 
it  is  that  the  ordinary  quiet  employments  of  the  residents  of  these 
regions  teeming  with  abundance  are  abandoned  for  the  more 
exciting  and  lucrative  occupation  of  duck-shooting.  Every  old 
musket  and  rusty  fowling-piece  is  brought  into  immediate  requisi- 
tion. All  is  bustle  and  confusion  among  the  duckers ;  and  now  it 
is  that  the  neglected  water-.dog,  who  has  wandered  idly  about, 
uncared-for  and  unfed,  for  the  past  nine  months,  is  called  familiarly 
and  even  kindly  to  the  heels  of  his  selfish  master.  The  bay  shore 
for  miles  and  miles,  long  before  the  dawn  of  day,  is  alive  with 
shooters ;  and  every  point  is  occupied  with  eager  marksmen,  who 
stand  prepared  with  murderous  weapons  to  give  a  passing  volley 
to  every  canvas-back  that  heedlessly  ventures  within  range.  The 
before  quiet  and  peaceful  shores  of  the  bay  now  resound  with  the 
deafening  volleys  of  the  toling  parties  concealed  behind  the  various 
blinds  erected  along  the  banks,  while  the  guns  from  the  boats  and 
masked  batteries  send  booming  over  the  placid  waters  their  echoing 
notes  of  death  and  destruction.  The  wary  canvas-backs,  startled 
in  every  quarter,  fly  here  and  there,  scarcely  knowing  where  to 
repose  in  safety  or  feed  in  peace. 


264  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 


HINTS  FOR   DUCKERS. 

Wild  fowl  are  ever  on  the  alert,  and  always  ready  to  take  alarm 
at  the  least  indication  of  danger,  and  therefore  must  be  approached 
with  the  utmost  precaution  or  waited  for  in  the  profoundest 
silence.  The  plashing  of  an  oar,  the  rattling  of  a  pebble,  the 
rustling  of  a  leaf,  the  bobbing  up  of  a  head,  the  exposure  of  a 
leg,  the  raising  of  an  arm,  or  the  utterance  of  a  loud  word,  will 
often  put  to  sudden  flight  a  whole  flock  of  ducks  a  few  minutes 
before  feeding  in  fancied  security  almost  within  reach  of  our 
smallest  gun ;  therefore,  "be  as  still  as  death  itself,  yet  watchful 
as  life  can  make  you." 

The  sense  of  smell  is  singularly  developed  in  wild  ducks,  and, 
when  approaching  them  on  the  water,  it  is  necessary  to  get  to  the 
leeward  of  them.  Colonel  Hawker  very  justly  remarks,  on  this 
point,  "  In  following  wild  fowl,  it  is  easier  to  get  within  twenty 
yards  of  them  by  going  to  leeward  than  a  hundred  and  fifty 
directly  to  windward^  so  very  acute  is  their  sense  of  smelling.'' 
This  fact  of  their  being  able  to  scent  an  enemy  a  long  distance  off" 
is  well  known  to  the  men  employed  in  attending  on  the  decoy- 
ponds  of  England  and  France ;  and,  for  the  purpose  of  destroy- 
ing or  counteracting  the  odor  emanating  from  their  persons, 
they  always  hold  a  piece  of  burning  peat  in  their  mouths  when 
visiting  their  nets. 

DISTANCES   ON  THE  WATER. 

It  is  very  difficult  for  the  inexperienced  to  judge  of  distances  on 
the  water,  and  the  eye  is  consequently  often  deceived  on  such 
occasions ;  and  a  young  sportsman  not  unfrequently  will  fire  away 
at  wild  fowl  securely  feeding  far  beyond  the  reach  of  a  gun  double 
or  treble  the  calibre  of  the  one  he  is  using,  and  then  express  great 
astonishment  that  the  load  should  have  fallen  far  short  of  the 
mark,  or,  perhaps,  have  scattered  harmlessly  in  the  very  midst  of 
the  intended  victims.  Experience  and  observation  will  alone  cor- 
rect this  fault. 


WILD-FOWL    SHOOTING.  265 

VELOCITY  OF  FLIGHT. 

When  wild  fowj  are  travelling  against  the  wind,  it  causes  them  to 
fly  low  and  closer  together  than  when  going  with  it.  The  velocity 
with  which  ducks  cleave  the  air  is  very  great,  and  argues  strongly 
the  necessity  of  having  the  hest  of  guns  and  ammunition,  to  he  suc- 
cessful in  this  kind  of  sport.  The  barrels  of  duck-guns  should  be  of 
sufficient  calibre  and  length  to  bear  a  large  proportion  of  powder, 
so  as  to  throw  the  shot  thickly  and  with  great  force  to  a  long 
distance.  Under  ordinary  circumstances,  unassisted  by  the  wind, 
ducks  fly  at  the  rate  of  eighty  to  one  hundred  miles  an  hour,  as 
has  often  been  proven  by  actual  experiment;  and  the  following 
plan,  adopted  by  Major  Cartwright,  to  ascertain  this  fact  to  his 
own  satisfaction,  is  both  ingenious  and  conclusive  in  its  results, 
and  we  therefore  give  it  in  his  own  words : — "  In  my  way  hither,  I 
measured  the  flight  of  eider-ducks  by  the  following  method, — viz. : 
on  arriving  ofi"  Duck  Island  I  caused  the  people  to  lie  on  their 
oars ;  and  when  I  saw  the  flash  of  the  guns  which  were  fired  at  a 
flock  of  ducks  as  they  passed  through  the  latter,  I  observed  by  my 
watch  how  long  they  were  in  flying  abreast  of  us.  The  result  of 
very  many  observations  ascertained  the  rate  of  their  speed  to  be 
ninety  miles  an  hour."  This  celerity  of  flight  is  not  only  wonder- 
ful, but  seems  almost  incredible;  nevertheless,  the  fact  is  well 
substantiated  by  the  observations  of  other  writers  respecting  the 
movements  of  birds  even  less  rapid  than  those  of  ducks.  For 
example,  it  is  not  an  uncommon  occurrence  to  shoot  wild 
pigeons  {Columha  migratona)  in  the  forests  of  Canada,  with  their 
stomachs  filled  with  perfect,  or  rather  whole,  grains  of  rice,  which 
must  have  been  gleaned  from  the  rice-fields  of  the  Southern  States, 
at  a  distance,  perhaps,  of  one  thousand  miles  or  more  from  the 
spot  where  they  were  killed.  Now,  allowing  several  hours  of 
active  exercise  to  be  sufficient  to  digest  this  article  of  food,  or, 
rather,  granting  the  inability  of  these  seeds  to  resist  the  action  of 
the  stomach  for  a  longer  time  than  a  few  hours,  it  is  but  fair  to 
conclude  that  the  birds  must  have  flown  with  astounding  velocity 


266  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

to  have  arrived  at  such  a  distance  from  the  rice-plantations  even 
before  its  last  meal  was  digested.  Still  further  to  elucidate  this 
subject,  we  will  mention  another  well-authenticated  circumstance 
that  has  already  been  referred  to  by  more  than  one  writer.  It 
is  stated  that  a  falcon  belonging  to  Henry  the  Fourth,  King  of 
France,  escaped  from  Fontainebleau,  and  was  captured  again  at 
Malta,  a  distance  of  nearly  fourteen  hundred  miles,  in  less  than 
twenty-four  hours  from  the  time  of  its  liberation  from  its  former 
prison.  Now,  if  we  suppose  this  bird  to  have  been  in  motion 
during  the  whole  of  the  time  intervening  between  its  escape  from 
Fontainebleau  and  its  recapture  at  Malta,  the  rate  at  which  it 
travelled  would  exceed  sixty  miles  an  hour.  This  supposition, 
however,  is  neither  correct  nor  rational,  as  this  species  of  bird 
never  flies  in  the  night ;  and  we  must  therefore  grant  it  the  hours 
of  darkness  for  repose,  and  calculate  the  actual  velocity  of  flight 
accordingly.  Allow,  therefore,  that  the  falcon  enjoyed  eighteen 
hours  of  light,  which  is  more  than  a  fair  proportion  of  the  time  in 
opposition  to  our  argument,  and  also  grant  that  the  bird  was  seen 
the  moment  of  its  arrival  at  Malta,  which  is  also  somewhat  impro- 
bable, the  speed  with  which  it  must  have  flown  is  equal  to  eighty 
miles  an  hour,  or  within  a  fraction  of  that  amount. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

CANVAS-BACK.      ANAS   VALISINERIA. 

"Now  all  around  us  rising  trains  appear; 
"Wild  whistling  wings  on  every  hand  we  hear ; 
The  alarm  of  death  amid  their  legions  spread, 
In  files  immense  they  winnow  overhead." 


THEIR   HIGH   ESTIMATION. 

OTH   with    sportsmen   and    epicures   the 
far-famed  canvas-back  stands  forth  pre- 
eminent for  the  richness  and  delicacy  of 
its  flesh;   in  fact,  it  is   conceded  in  all 
>      quarters  that  no  wild  fowl  in  any  portion 
>^^   of  the  globe  can  vie  in  flavor  with  the 
canvas-back  of  the  Chesapeake  or  Poto- 
mac.    No  variety  of  duck  is  more  eagerly 
sought  after  by  the  sportsmen  of  our  country,  and  no  viand  con- 
tributes so  largely  to  enhance  the  enjoyments  of  the  table  among 

the  luxurious  followers  of  Epicurus  as  the  presence  of  this  delicious 

267 


268  lewis's  ameeican  sportsman. 

fowl,  served  up  piping  hot,  all  redolent  with  the  captivating  fumes 
of  its  savory  flesh;  and,  in  the  words  of  Wilson,  "canvas-backs 
not  only  grace,  but  dignify,  the  table ;  and  their  very  name  conveys 
to  the  imagination  of  the  eager  epicure  the  most  comfortable  and 
exhilarating  ideas." 

The  beautiful  appearance,  large  size,  immense  numbers,  and 
juicy  tenderness  of  these  ducks,  during  their  stay  on  the  Chesa- 
peake and  its  tributaries,  cause  them  to  be  persecuted  with  an  un- 
relenting ardor  by  shooters  collected  from  all  parts  of  the  neighbor- 
ing States,  urged  on  not  only  by  a  healthful  desire  for  sport,  but 
doubly  stimulated  by  the  more  selfish  motive  of  gain.  Although 
thousands  of  these  ducks  are  annually  sent  to  the  markets  of 
Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  New  York,  and  even  as  far  south  as 
Charleston,  the  demand  for  them  at  these  places  is  ever  the  same ; 
and  the  exorbitant  price  that  they  readily  bring — two  or  three 
dollars  per  pair — is  of  itself  a  sufiicient  proof  of  the  high  estima- 
tion in  which  our  citizens  hold  them. 

KNOWN   ONLY   IN   AMERICA. 

This  duck  we  are  proud  to  clainj  as  solely  American,  there  being 
no  fowl  as  yet  described  in  any  portion  of  the  world,  except  per- 
haps the  pochard  of  England,  that  at  all  resembles  the  canvas- 
back.  This  duck,  however,  is  much  smaller,  and  weighs  at  least 
one-third  less;  and  the  delicacy  of  its  flesh,  though  good,  is  far 
inferior  to  that  of  our  species. 

Before  going  further,  we  will  make  the  reader  familiar  with  this 
beautiful  duck  by  the  introduction  of  Wilson's  description :  — 

"The  canvas-back  is  two  feet  long  and  three  feet  in  extent, 
and,  when  in  good  order,  weighs  three  pounds;  the  bill  is  large, 
rising  high  in  the  head,  three  inches  in  length,  and  one  inch  and 
three-eighths  thick  at  the  base,  of  a  glossy  black ;  eye  very  small ; 
irides  dark  red ;  cheeks  and  foreparts  of  the  head  blackish-brown ; 
rest  of  the  head  and  greater  part  of  the  neck  bright,  glossy,  reddish- 
chestnut,  ending  in  a  broad  space  of  black  that  covers  the  upper  part 
of  the  breast  and  spreads  round  to  the  back ;  back,  scapulars,  and 


CANVAS-BACK.  269 

tertials  white,  faintly  marked  with  an  infinite  number  of  tranverse 
waving  lij^es  or  points,  as  if  done  with  a  pencil ;  whole  lower  parts 
of  the  breast,  also  the  belly,  white,  slightly  pencilled  in  the  same 
manner,  scarcely  perceptible  on  the  breast,  pretty  thick  towards 
the  vent;  wing-coverts  gray,  with  numerous  specks  of  blackish; 
primaries  and  secondaries  pale  slate,  two  or  three  of  the  latter  of 
which  nearest  the  body  are  finely  edged  with  deep  velvety  black, 
the  former  dusky  at  the  tips ;  tail  very  short,  pointed,  consisting 
of  fourteen  feathers  of  a  hoary  brown ;  vent  and  tail-coverts  black ; 
lining  of  the  wing  white;  legs  and  feet  very  pale  ash,  the  latter 
three  inches  in  width, — a  circumstance  which  partly  accounts  for 
its  great  powers  of  swimming. 

"  The  female  is  somewhat  less  than  the  male,  and  weighs  two 
pounds  and  three-quarters.*  The  crown  is  blackish-brown ;  cheeks 
and  throat  of  a  pale  drab ;  neck  dull  brown ;  breast,  as  far  as  the 
black  extends  on  the  male,  dull  brown,  skirted  in  places  with  pale 
drab ;  back  dusky  white,  pencilled  like  the  back ;  wings,  feet,  and 
bill  as  in  the  male;  tail-coverts  dusky;  vent  white,  waved  with 
brown." 

NATURAL  HISTORY. 

Very  little  or  nothing  is  known  of  the  canvas-back  during  the 
period  of  incubation ;  in  fact,  the  history  of  the  whole  duck  tribe 
during  this  interesting  season  is  but  little  known,  as  they  retire  at 
the  breaking  up  of  winter  to  the  far  regions  of  the  Arctic,  and 
there,  in  those  solitudes  never  trod  by  the  wandering  footsteps  of 
man,  they  unmolested  breed  and  rear  their  young. 

Audubon,  however,  informs  us  that  they  breed  in  considerable 
numbers  on  the  borders  of  Bear  River,  in  Upper  California ;  also 


December  17,  1849. 
*  We  are  just  in  receipt  of  two  couples  of  canvas-backs,  from  the  Chesapeake, 
the  aggregate  weight  of  which  is  twelve  pounds  and  a  half,  being  three  pounds  and 
an  eighth  to  each  fowl ;  as  they  are  paired,  male  and  female,  the  weight  is  rather 
unusual.  We  occasionally  hear  of  a  seven-pound  couple ;  but  such  ducks  are  very 
rare,  even  in  the  height  of  the  season.  We  have  seen  some  couples  that  weighed 
within  a  fraction  of  eight  pounds ;  but  such  are  still  more  rare. 


270  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

in  the  marshes  and  along  the  banks  of  streams  in  many  parts  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Canvas-backs  first  make  their  appearance  on  our  waters  in  the 
months  of  October  and  November.  During  the  time  of  migration 
a  few  are  encountered  upon  the  Hudson  and  Delaware,  and  other 
rivers,  but  the  great  body  of  ducks  generally  take  up  their  line  of 
march  straight  for  the  Chesapeake  and  its  tributaries,  the  Susque- 
hanna, Potomac,  James,  Elk,  North-East,  Bush,  Gunpowder,  and 
some  other  smaller  streams. 

It  will  now  be  very  naturally  asked  by  the  uninitiated  but  in- 
quisitive reader,  Why  do  these  ducks  resort  so  particularly  to  the 
above-mentioned  waters  in  preference  to  the  hundreds  of  others 
of  our  noble  rivers  ?  This  question  is  easily  solved  when  we  in- 
form him  that  a  peculiar  kind  of  aquatic  plant  on  which  they  de- 
light to  feed  grows  luxuriantly  in  these  streams,  and  that  it  is 
seldom  or  never  found  in  other  localities ;  and,  if  met  with  at  all,  is 
generally  in  such  small  quantities  that  it  would  not  furnish  food 
sufficient  for  these  numberless  ducks  for  more  than  a  few  days. 
They,  therefore,  instinctively,  or  perhaps  led  by  the  older  members 
of  the  flocks,  wend  their  way  from  the  bleak  climes  of  the  North  in 
a  direct  course  to  these  favored  regions  of  abundance,  and  where, 
previous  to  the  coming  of  the  white  man,  the  feathered  tribes  re- 
mained all  winter,  feeding  unmolested  and  undisturbed  by  the 
never-ceasing  reports  of  the  terrible  duck-guns  which  now  spread 
death  and  destruction  on  all  sides.  When  the  canvas-backs  first 
arrive  in  our  waters,  they  are  rather  poor  and  unpalatable,  but 
soon  become  fat  and  juicy,  as  they  are  very  industrious  feeders, 
and  partake  largely  of  the  roots  of  the  valisineria,  or  wild  celery, 
which  is  very  tender  and  extremely  nutritious.  This  species  of 
aquatic  herb,  from  which  the  canvas-back  so  appropriately  derives 
its  scientific  appellation,  grows  in  great  abundance  on  the  exten- 
sive shoals  of  the  Chesapeake,  as  also  on  the  numerous  flats  of  all 
the  rivers  that  empty  their  waters  into  this  estuary.  The  plant 
attains  several  feet  in  height,  and  has  a  small  white  root  very  much 
resembling  young  celery ;  and  it  is  upon  this  delicate  portion  alone 


CANVAS-BACK.  271 

that  the  dainty  canvas-back  regales  his  fastidious  appetite,  dis- 
daining the  green  blades,  which  are  left  to  float  off  and  strew  the 
shores  of  the  bay  for  miles  and  miles.  There  are  several  species 
of  ducks  that  are  as  equally  fond  of  the  roots  of  the  valisineria  as 
the  canvas-backs ;  but,  not  being  as  strong  as  this  fowl,  they  are 
not  able  to  dive  deep  enough  to  seize  the  stock  sufficiently  near  the 
bottom  to  insure  pulling  the  plant  up  by  the  roots.  These  ducks, 
however,  are  always  seen  feeding  with  the  canvas-back,  and  sup- 
ply this  deficiency  in  their  physical  construction  to  the  adaptation 
of  their  wants  by  a  singular  boldness  and  ingenuity.  For  acting 
the  part  of  skulking  poachers,  they  attentively  watch  every  opportu- 
nity to  seize  upon  the  dainty  morsel  the  very  moment  the  canvas- 
back  makes  his  appearance  on  the  top  of  the  water  with  the  root  in 
his  mouth,  and  then,  swimming  off  rapidly  to  a  convenient  distance, 
quietly  enjoy  the  stolen  repast,  unmolested  by  their  good-tempered 
opponent,  who  soon  dives  down  again  for  another  honne-houche. 

Among  these  cunSing  pilferers,  none  are  more  conspicuous  than 
the  red-heads  and  bald-pates,  both  of  which  are  always  found  feed- 
ing in  company  with  the  canvas-back,  and  at  the  height  of  the 
season  are  not  very  far  inferior  to  these  ducks ;  and  it  oftentimes 
puzzles  the  best  judges  to  distinguish  one  from  the  other,  when 
properly  served.  We  have  seen  the  epicurean  taste  of  some  of  our 
sporting  friends  put  to  the  test  on  this  point  more  than  once;  and 
the  mistakes  which  have  been  made  on  these  occasions  are  conclusive 
evidence  of  the  great  similarity  in  the  flavor  of  these  three  varieties 
of  ducks  during  the  particular  period  that  they  all  feed  exclusively 
upon  the  roots  of  the  valisineria. 

Although  the  canvas-backs  are  excessively  fond  of  the  bulbous 
portions  of  the  Valisineria  Americana,  and  prefer  it  to  any  other 
kind  of  food,  they  are  not  solely  dependent  upon  this  herbal  pro- 
duction for  subsistence,  but  are  obliged  to  resort  to  other  species  of 
aquatic  plants  when  driven  from  the  rivers  and  flats  of  the  upper 
bay,  by  the  large  masses  of  floating  ice,  into  regions  where  this 
vegetable  does  not  grow.  When  forced  by  this  circumstance  to  quit 
their  favorite  feeding-grounds,  the  canvas-backs  betake  themselves 


272  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN.' 

far  down  the  bay,  where  the  valisineria  is  thinly  distributed  and  the 
shallows  are  more  generally  covered  with  a  different  variety  of 
marine  plant,  known  as  eel-grass.  At  such  times,  the  canvas- 
backs,  being  driven  to  partake  of  this  rank  grass,  as  well  as  small 
fish  and  many  other  less  dainty  articles  of  food,  soon  lose  a  great 
deal  of  that  delicacy  of  flavor  which  alone  seems  to  be  imparted  to 
their  flesh  by  the  use  of  this  water-celery.  If  they  should  be  con- 
fined to  a  different  diet  for  any  considerable  time,  their  flesh  be- 
comes sedgy  and  savorless,  and  is  not  much  superior  to  many 
other  varieties  of  sea-coast  fowl. 

The  fact  of  the  fondness  of  the  canvas-back  for  this  bulbous 
root,  and  the  knowledge  of  the  peculiar  savor  imparted  to  their 
flesh  by  partaking  of  it,  has  been  turned  to  useful  account  by 
some  of  our  intelligent  agriculturists,  who  coop  and  feed  the  com- 
mon domestic  duck  upon  the  tops  and  roots  of  the  garden  celery 
for  a  few  days  previous  to  killing  them,  which  plan  is  said  to 
much  improve  their  flavor  and  altogether  destroy  that  rankness 
which  is  often  observable  in  the  barnyard  fowl.  A  friend  of  the 
author,  who  has  fattened  ducks  in  this  way,  assures  him  that  it  was 
almost  impossible  to  distinguish  some  of  them  from  wild  ones, 
their  taste  being  so  much  improved. 

The  canvas-back  extends  its  migrations  as  far  south  as  Florida, 
and  is  known  at  New  Orleans  under  the  somewhat  singular  appella- 
tion of  "  canard  cheval."  They  are  much  esteemed  in  that  city 
for  their  delicacy,  but  are  said  to  be  far  inferior  to  those  killed  on 
the  Chesapeake.  Canvas-backs  are  often  met  with  in  the  markets 
of  Charleston  and  Savannah ;  but  they  are  commonly  very  poor, 
insipid,  and  at  times  fishy,  and  not  as  much  esteemed  late  in  the 
season  as  either  mallards  or  teal.  We  are  informed  by  a  friend  that 
these  ducks  are  very  numerous  in  Galveston  Bay,  and  at  times  are 
most  excellent  eating. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  New  Orleans  the  canvas-backs  resort 
to  wet  prairies  and  fresh-water  ponds,  where  they  feed  upon  the 
seeds  of  various  plants,  more  particularly  those  of  the  wild  oats 
and  water-lily.     This  kind  of  food  being  somewhat  analogous  to 


CANVAS-BACK.  273 

that  wliicli  they  partake  of  in  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  it  is  not  im- 
probable that  the  canvas-backs  of  that  particular  region  may  be 
but  a  trifle  inferior  to  those  shot  on  the  fresh-water  shoals  of  the 
North,  where  the  Valisineria  Americana  flourishes  in  such  pro- 
fusion. 

THEIR   SHYNESS. 

The  canvas-back  is  an  extremely  shy  and  wary  fowl,  and  very 
difficult  to  approach,  except  by  means  of  some  cunningly-devised 
stratagem,  as  there  are  always  sentinels  on  the  look-out  for  in- 
truders, whether  the  mass  of  ducks  be  sleeping  at  night  or  feeding 
during  the  daytime.  When  on  the  water,  they  may  be  distin- 
guished at  a  great  distance  from  other  ducks  by  their  constant 
habit  of  diving,  and  when  on  the  wing  they  fly  in  a  wedge-like 
form,  with  considerable  velocity,  and  generally  at  a  great  height. 
When  wounded,  they  dive  very  deep  and  swim  immense  distances 
under  water,  thus  baffling  every  effort  of  the  most  skilful  dogs  to 
overtake  them ;  and  the  sagacious  animals  that  are  trained  to  this 
kind  of  sport  are  perfectly  aware  of  this  circumstance,  as  they 
seldom  or  never  show  any  disposition  to  go  after  wounded  canvas- 
backs  ;  for  they  know  full  well,  from  hard-taught  experience,  the 
utter  impossibility  of  catching  them,  no  matter  how  fast  they  may 
swim  or  how  deep  they  may  dive  in  the  pursuit. 


MODES   OF  TAKING   CANVAS-BACKS. 

In  detailing  the  various  schemes  and  describing  the  innumerable 
contrivances  that  the  ingenuity  of  man  has  prompted  him  to  adopt 
for  the  purpose  of  circumventing  and  destroying  this  much-prized 
duck,  we  will,  ere  finishing  the  subject,  have  pretty  much  ex- 
hausted the  whole  material  appertaining  to  wild-fowl  shooting;  as 

it  is  to  the  taking  of  this  particular  variety  that  the  energies  of 

18 


274  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

the  whole  shooting  craft  are  devoted  in  those  portions  of  the 
country  where  they,  in  common  with  numberless  other  ducks, 
congregate. 

TOLINa  DUCKS. 

"We  will  first  speak  of  a  most  curious  process  resorted  to  by  the 
shooters  on  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  at  the  beginning  of  the  season, 
for  the  purpose  of  decoying  canvas-backs  from  the  flats  within 
gunshot  of  the  sportsmen,  who  lie  concealed  from  observation 
behind  blinds  erected  all  along  the  shore  at  convenient  intervals. 
This  practice  we  have  already  described  in  our  edition  of  "  Youatt," 
under  the  head  of  Newfoundland  Dog,  and  as  there  put  down  will 
transfer  it  to  these  pages,  with  some  additional  observations : — 

"  This  may  not  be  an  inappropriate  place  to  speak  of  the  won- 
derful mode  of  decoying  ducks,  termed  toling^  so  extensively 
practised  upon  the  Chesapeake  Bay  and  its  tributaries,  where 
the  canvas-backs  and  red-heads  resort  in  such  quantities  every 
autumn.  A  species  of  mongrel  water-dog,  or  often  any  com- 
mon cur,  is  taught  to  run  backwards  and  forwards  after  stones, 
sticks,  or  other  missiles,  thrown  from  one  side  to  the  other  along 
the  shore.  In  his  activity  and  industry  in  this  simple  branch  of 
education,  within  the  comprehension  of  any  dog,  consists  the 
almost  incredible  art  of  toling  the  canvas-back.  With  a  dog  of 
this  character,  the  shooting  party,  consisting  of  several  persons,  all 
prepared  with  heavy  double-barrelled  duck-guns,  ensconce  them- 
selves at  break  of  day  behind  some  one  of  the  numerous  blinds 
temporarily  erected  along  the  shore  contiguous  to  the  feeding- 
grounds  of  these  ducks. 

"Every  thing  being  arranged  and  the  morning  mists  cleared 
off,  the  ducks  will  be  seen  securely  feeding  on  the  shallows  not  less 
than  several  hundred  yards  from  the  shore.  The  dog  is  now 
put  in  motion  by  throwing  stones  from  one  side  of  the  blind  to  the 
other.  This  will  soon  be  perceived  by  the  ducks,  who,  stimulated 
by  an  extreme  degree  of  curiosity,  and  feeling  anxious  to  inform 
themselves  as  to  this  sudden  and  singular  phenomenon,  raise  their 
heads  high  in  the  water  and  commence  swimming  for  the  shore. 


CANVAS-BACK.  275 

The  dog  being  kept  in  motion,  the  ducks  will  not  arrest  their  pro- 
gress until  within  a  few  feet  of  the  water's  edge,  and  oftentimes 
will  stand  on  the  beach,  staring,  as  it  were  in  mute  and  silly  asto- 
nishment, at  the  playful  motions  of  the  animal. 

"  If  well  trained,  the  dog  takes  no  notice  whatever  of  the  ducks, 
but  continues  his  fascination  until  the  quick  report  of  the  battery 
announces  to  him  that  his  services  are  now  wanted  in  another 
quarter;  and  he  immediately  rushes  into  the  water  to  arrest  the 
flight  of  the  maimed  and  wounded,  who,  struggling  on  every  side, 
dye  the  water  with  their  rich  blood. 

"  The  discovery  of  this  mode  of  decoying  ducks  was  quite  acci- 
dental, being  attributed  to  a  circumstance  noticed  by  a  sports- 
man, who,  concealed  behind  a  blind  patiently  awaiting  the  near 
approach  of  the  canvas-backs,  observed  that  they  suddenly  lifted 
up  their  heads  and  moved  towards  the  shore.  Wondering  at  this 
singular  and  unusual  procedure  on  the  part  of  this  wary  bird,  he 
naturally  looked  round  to  discover  the  cause,  and  observed  a  young 
fox  sporting  on  the  river-bank ;  and  the  ducks,  all  eagerness  to 
gaze  upon  him,  were  steering  their  course  directly  for  the  shore.* 

"These  ducks  will  not  only  be  decoyed  by  the  dog,  but  will 
often  come  in  by  waving  a  fancy-colored  handkerchief  attached  to 
the  ramrod.  We  have  seen  a  dog  fail  to  attract  their  attention 
till  bound  around  the  loins  with  a  white  handkerchief,  and  then 
succeed  perfectly  well.  The  toling  season  continues  about  three 
weeks  from  the  first  appearance  of  the  ducks, — often  a  much  shorter 
time,  as  these  birds  become  more  cautious,  and  are  no  longer 
deceived  in  this  way.  The  canvas-back  toles  better  than  any 
other  duck ;  in  fact,  it  is  asserted  by  some  sportsmen  that  this 
particular  variety  alone  can  be  decoyed  in  this  mode.     There  are 


*  Be  this  as  it  may,  this  peculiar  faculty  of  fascination  on  the  part  of  the  dog 
has  long  been  known  and  practised  on  the  decoy-ponds  of  England,  to  a  much 
more  limited  extent,  to-be-sure,  but  still  sufficient  to  show  that  these  wild-fowl 
shooters,  or  rather  netters,  understand  the  whole  bearing  of  the  operation.  For 
further  information  on  the  subject  we  refer  our  readers  to  Bewick's  account  of  the 
decoy-ponds. 


276  lewis's     AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

always  numbers  of  other  ducks  feeding  with  the  canvas-back, 
particularly  the  red-heads  and  black-heads,  who  partake  of  the 
top  of  the  grass  which  the  canvas-back  discards  after  eating  off  the 
root.  These  ducks,  though  they  come  in  with  the  canvas-backs 
when  toled,  do  not  seem  to  take  any  notice  whatever  of  the  dog, 
but  continue  to  swim  along,  carelessly  feeding,  as  if  intrusting 
themselves  entirely  to  the  guidance  of  the  other  fowl. 

^'As  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  judge,  we  are  inclined  to  this 
opinion  also,  and  do  not  recollect  ever  having  succeeded  in  toling 
any  other  species  of  duck  unaccompanied  by  the  canvas-back, 
although  we  have  made  the  effort  many  times.  These  ducks  are  a 
very  singular  bird,  and,  although  very  cunning  under  ordinary 
circumstances,  seem  perfectly  bewildered  upon  this  subject.  We 
were  one  of  a  party  several  years  since  who  actually  succeeded 
in  decoying  the  same  batch  of  ducks  three  successive  times  in  the 
course  of  an  hour,  and  slaying  at  each  fire  a  large  number.  We 
counted  out  over  forty  at  the  conclusion  of  the  sport. 

"Although  the  toling  of  ducks  is  so  simple  in  its  process,  there 
are  few  dogs  who  have  sufficient  industry  and  perseverance  to 
arrive  at  any  degree  of  perfection  in  the  art.  The  dog,  if  not 
possessed  of  some  sagacity  and  considerable  training,  is  very  apt 
to  tire  and  stop  running  when  the  ducks  have  got  near  the  shore 
but  too  far  off  to  be  reached  by  the  gunsk,  which  spoils  all,  as  the 
birds  are  very  apt  to  swim  or  fly  off  if  the  motion  of  the  animal 
is  arrested  for  a  few  moments."* 

Since  writing  the  above,  we  have  been  assured  by  an  experienced 
and  somewhat  veteran  sportsman  that  both  the  black-heads  and 
the  red-heads  tole  with  the  same  facility,  and  the  former  duck,  if 


*  On  some  particular  days,  even  in  the  midst  of  the  toling  season,  "without  any 
apparent  reason,  the  toler  is  obliged  to  relinquish  his  sport,  as  no  artifice  on  the 
part  of  the  dog  will  induce  the  ducks  to  come  in,  although  on  the  preceding  day 
they  may  have  exhibited  the  greatest  eagerness  to  satisfy  their  curiosity  on  this 
point.  The  immediate  cause  of  this  fickleness  on  the  part  of  these  fowl  it  is  diflScult 
to  explain,  as  it  cannot  be  attributed  to  any  sudden  change  in  the  weather  or  other 
concomitant  circumstances  which  most  generally  influence  the  actions  of  the 
feathered  race. 


CANVAS-BACK.  277 

any  thing,  even  more  easily  than  the  canvas-backs.  From  further 
observation  and  more  minute  inquiry  on  the  subject  of  toUng,  we 
are  now  inclined  to  think  that  very  nearly  all  varieties  of  the 
wild  fowl  can  be  decoyed  in  the  way  above  described;  but  at  the 
same  time  we  are  more  than  ever  convinced  that  the  canvas-back 
is  more  susceptible  to  this  strange  influence  than  any  other  duck 
on  our  waters.  The  reason  why  we  were  at  first  led  to  suppose 
that  the  canvas-back  alone  could  be  influenced  by  these  playful 
motions  of  a  dog  was  owing  to  the  circumstance  of  our  never 
having  at  that  time  toled  wild  fowl  on  other  waters  than  the  Chesa- 
peake, where  the  canvas-back  is  always  to  be  seen  feeding  during 
the  shooting  season  in  company  with  all  the  other  varieties  that 
flock  to  this  favorite  resort ;  and  we  had  not  perhaps  considered 
how  seldom  it  was  that  a  bed  of  ducks  could  be  seen  on  these 
waters  that  did  not  chiefly  consist  of  canvas-backs,  as  the  most  of 
the  other  varieties  keep  company  with  these  ducks  for  the  purpose 
of  feeding  on  the  refuse  of  the  celery  which  the^/,  by  their  superior 
strength  and  dexterity,  are  enabled  to  pull  up  from  the  bottom  of 
the  rivers.  We  consequently  may  have  been  perfectly  correct  in 
our  assertion  ^^  of  never  having  succeeded  in  toling  any  other  spe- 
cies of  duck  unaccompanied  hy  the  canvas-bach ;''  but  at  the  same 
time  our  inferences  may  have  been  entirely  wrong,  when  we  con- 
sider how  seldom  a  bed  of  ducks  is  seen  on  these  waters  that  is  not 
principally  composed  of  canvas-backs.  And,  moreover,  when  we 
consider  the  acuteness  of  vision  and  the  never-ceasing  watchful- 
ness of  the  canvas-back,  we  need  not  be  at  all  surprised  that  they 
should  be  most  generally  the  first  to  notice  the  dog  or  the  first  to 
take  the  lead  in  the  general  movement  towards  the  shore, — all  the 
other  ducks  apparently  following,  although  they  may  be  equally 
under  the  magic  influence. 

This  plan  of  killing  ducks,  though  practised  by  all  the  gentry 
as  well  as  pot-hunters  who  frequent  the  bay-shore,  is  not  altogether 
recognised  as  a  sportsmanlike  way  of  bagging  game,  and  is  for- 
bidden on  some  of  the  grounds  in  possession  of  the  clubs  that  meet 
during  the  shooting  season  at  different  points  in  the  bay.     Against 


278  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

the  utility  of  this  regulation  we  will  not  venture  an  argument.  The 
gentlemen  composing  these  associations  no  doubt  have  good  reasons 
for  their  restriction.  We  must  confess,  however,  that  we  see  no 
impropriety  nor  any  thing  unsportsmanlike  in  thus  decoying  this 
wary  fowl  within  reach  of  our  guns,  more  particularly  in  positions 
where  all  other  modes  of  getting  at  them  would  surely  fail ;  but, 
on  the  contrary,  we  have  always  found  a  great  deal  in  the  sport  to 
admire,  as  it  is  not  unfrequently  attended  with  a  high  degree  of 
pleasurable  excitement,  while  witnessing  the  playful  antics  of  the 
dog  operating  so  strangely  upon  his  bewildered  and  silly  victims 
that  so  soon  pay  the  forfeit  of  their  idle  curiosity  in  death.  And, 
moreover,  if  we  desired  to  act  the  part  of  a  sage,  we  might  also 
draw  a  pretty  moral  from  the  incident,  in  demonstrating  to  our 
brother  sportsmen  that  a  foolish  and  idle  curiosity  even  in  the  brute 
creation  often  results  in  disastrous  consequences  to  the  parties 
concerned. 

Along  some  shores  on  the  Gunpowder  and  Bush  Rivers,  exclu- 
sively devoted  by  their  proprietors  to  toling^  the  season  for  this 
sport  continues  very  late,  as  the  fowl  are  seldom  or  never  disturbed 
upon  their  feeding-grounds  far  out  in  the  stream,  where  they 
take  immediate  refuge  after  being  fired  at  and  remain  in  per- 
fect security  till  enticed  again  within  gunshot;  and  this  may  be 
accomplished  several  times  during  the  same  day,  and  the  slaughter 
consequently  is  often  enormous.  This  method  of  killing  ducks  is  less 
injurious  in  its  effects  upon  the  movements  of  wild  fowl  than  any 
kind  of  boat-shooting  that  can  be  practised,  as  it  never  disturbs 
them  on  their  feeding-grounds,  but  attacks  them  only  when  fool- 
ishly wandering  away  from  their  usual  secure  haunts. 

The  proper  and  most  destructrve  moment  to  shoot  ducks,  when 
they  have  been  toled,  is  when  they  present  a  side-view. 

Duck-dogs,  when  behind  the  blinds  along  the  bay-shore,  mark 
the  flight  of  wild  fowl  as  anxiously  as  the  sportsman  himself,  and 
often  by  their  manner  give  evidence  of  the  approach  of  ducks 
before  they  are  observed  by  those  on  the  watch  for  them. 


CANVAS-BACK.  279 


BOATING    DUCKS. 


Another  method  of  killing  canvas-backs  is  that  of  boating  them 
on  their  feeding-grounds  in  small  skiffs,  either  in  the  daytime  or 
during  the  still  hour  of  night.  The  latter  plan,  of  course,  is  the 
most  destructive  and  terrifying  to  the  fowl. 

A  large  swivel,  carrying  several  ounces  of  powder  and  a  pound 
or  more  of  shot,  is  placed  on  the  bow  of  a  light  boat,  and,  by 
means  of  muffled  oars  and  under  cover  of  the  darkness,  it  is  carried 
into  the  very  midst  of  the  sleeping  ducks,  and,  being  fired  into  their 
thick  columns,  great  numbers  are  destroyed  as  well  as  crippled. 
This  plan  of  killing  wild  fowl,  however,  is  very  generally  repro- 
bated by  all  respectable  parties  interested  in  this  sport,  and  is  very 
properly  restricted  by  legislative  enactment.  Notwithstanding, 
however,  the  general  discountenance  of  the  community  and  the 
severe  penalties  threatening  the  participators  in  this  cruel  plan 
of  butchery,  many  unprincipled  poachers,  who  shoot  for  the  mar- 
kets, boldly  resort  to  this  expedient  to  fill  their  slender  purses, 
in  spite  of  all  law  and  the  universal  execrations  of  those  who  live 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  bay.  These  impudent  and  reckless 
fellows  know  full  well  the  inefficiency  of  all  such  laws,  owing  to 
the  disinclination,  or  rather  want  of  energy,  on  the  part  of  the 
people  to  enforce  them ;  for,  without  the  assistance  of  those  in- 
terested in  such  matters,  all  legislative  enactments  in  reference  to 
the  preservation  of  game  soon  become  obsolete,  and  the  laws  are 
no  more  than  a  dead  letter. 

Strong  efforts,  however,  were  made  at  the  last  session  of  the 
Maryland  legislature  to  do  something  towards  the  protection  of 
the  wild  fowl  on  the  Chesapeake,  by  the  suppression  of  the  surface- 
boats  and  the  use  of  large  guns ;  but  the  enactment  was  of  little 
avail  as  regards  the  surface-boats,  owing  to  some  unlooked-for 
defect  in  the  framing  of  the  act,  and  we  now  learn  that  there  is 
some  probability  of  its  being  repealed  altogether,  which  we  very 
much  regret :  we  would  much  rather  see  it  made  more  rigid  and 
then  strictly  enforced. 


280  lewis's     AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

Nothing  is  better  calculated  to  drive  ducks  from  their  accustomed 
feeding-grounds  than  the  practice  of  boating  them  at  night;  for, 
being  disturbed  during  their  wonted  hours  of  repose  and  security 
by  an  unforeseen  enemy,  they  soon  learn  that  there  is  no  safety 
for  themselves  under  any  circumstances,  and  have  been  known  to 
abandon  such  places  almost  entirely  after  being  shot  at  two  or 
three  times  in  the  quiet  of  the  night,  when  perhaps  the  whole  flock, 
perfectly  unconscious  of  danger,  were  wrapped  in  deep  sleep. 

Boating  ducks  on  their  feeding-grounds,  even  with  small  guns 
during  the  daytime,  will  soon  drive  them  from  their  accustomed 
haunts,  and  force  them  to  find  other  spots  at  a  distance  where  they 
can  remain  undisturbed.  All  modes  of  boating  ducks  are  con- 
demned by  the  sportsmen  visiting  these  parts,  as  well  as  by  those 
who  reside  in  the  vicinity  of  the  bay-shore. 

NETTING   DUCKS. 

A  very  ingenious  way  of  taking  canvas-backs  was  resorted  to  a 
few  years  since  by  a  gentleman  living  on  the  bay,  and  which  cer- 
tainly, for  its  novelty,  requires  some  notice  on  our  part.  This 
plan  consisted  in  sinking  gilling-nets  a  short  distance  below  the 
surface  of  the  water,  so  that  the  ducks  in  diving  would  get  their 
heads  and  wings  entangled  in  its  meshes,  and  thus  miserably  perish 
by  drowning. 

Great  numbers  were  secured  by  this  method  at  first;  but  the 
canvas-backs  soon  entirely  forsook  the  shoals  where  these  nets 
were  placed,  and  did  not  return  to  them  again  during  the  same 
season.  But  what  brought  this  method  more  particularly  into  dis- 
repute, even  among  pot-hunters,  was  the  circumstance  of  the  ducks 
secured  in  this  way  being  so  far  inferior  to  those  which  were  shot, 
owing  to  their  being  drowned  and  remaining  so  long  a  time  under 
the  water,  as  the  placing  of  the  nets  occupied  so  much  time  and 
labor  that  it  would  not  pay  to  examine  them  oftener  than  once  in 
twenty-four  or  forty-eight  hours ;  and  many  of  the  ducks,  conse- 
quently, were  under  the  water  during  a  greater  portion  of  this  time. 
The  flesh,  under  these  disadvantages,  became  watery  and  insipid,  and 


CANVAS-BACK.  281 

the  ducks,  moreover,  were  very  hard  to  keep,  except  in  excessively- 
cold  weather,  on  account  of  their  bodies  absorbing  so  much  water. 
The  whole  system  of  gilling  ducks  is  now  entirely  abandoned,  and 
we  only  mention  it  as  one  of  the  things  that  have  appeared  and 
passed  away.  This  method,  however,  of  taking  ducks  is  not  alto- 
gether new,  as  a  somewhat  similar  plan  is  resorted  to  on  the  coast 
of  France  for  taking  the  scoter-duck,  which  little  fowl  resorts  in 
considerable  numbers  to  the  sea-coaSt  for  the  purpose  of  feeding  on 
the  shell-fish  that  there  abound.  The  fishermen,  or  those  engaged 
in  taking  wild  fowl,  spread  their  nets  at  low  tide  on  the  flats  where 
these  shell-fish  are  found,  being  supported  two  or  more  feet  from 
the  ground,  so  that  the  ducks,  feeding  in  with  the  tide  and  diving 
after  food,  become  entangled,  as  in  the  case  of  the  canvas-backs, 
in  the  meshes  of  the  net. 

DUG-OUTS. 

Another  very  successful  mode  of  killing  ducks,  and  one  which 
has  been  very  much  in  vogue  for  many  years  on  our  rivers,  is  the 
use  of  the  dig-outs  or  dug-outs,*  a  small  kind  of  boat  moored  over 
the  flats,  and  concealed  as  far  as  possible  from  observation  by 
quantities  of  eel-grass  thrown  over  it.  Thus  fixed,  and  surrounded 
by  large  numbers  of  decoys  that  are  previously  anchored  all  around 
the  little  vessel,  the  shooter  patiently  awaits  the  approach  of  the 
wild  ducks  which  are  flying  up  and  down  the  river,  and  are,  of 
course,  tempted  to  dart  down  upon  the  deceptive  decoys,  believing 
them  to  be  others  of  their  own  species  that  are  feeding  in  perfect 
security,  notwithstanding  the  proximity  of  the  greenish  mass  which 
conceals  the  shooter  and  his  boat.  As  soon  as  the  canvas-backs 
have  come  sufficiently  near,  the  shooter  rises  up  suddenly  and 
blazes  away  with  his  ponderous  weapon,  dealing  death  and  de- 
struction throughout  the  afi'righted  ranks  of  his  unsuspecting 
victims. 


*  So  termed  from  being  constructed  by  excavating  the  trunk  of  a  large  tree  suffi- 
ciently deep  to  allow  the  person  of  the  shooter  to  lie  concealed  in  it. 


282 


LEWIS   S    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


When  the  weather  is  favorable  and  the  ducks  are  flying,  this 
plan  succeeds  very  well,  and  ofiers  considerable  attractions  in  the 
way  of  sport  to  those  accustomed  to  wild-fowl  shooting ;  but  if  the 
weather  be  cold  and  boisterous,  none  should  attempt  it  but  those 
inured  to  the  roughest  usage  and  who  are  perfectly  regardless  of 
the  state  of  the  elements. 


THE  surface-boat:  coffin-boat; 


battery;  sink,  or  box. 


UG-OUTS  have  been  entirely  superseded 
during  the  three  or  four  past  seasons,  on 
the  waters  of  the  Chesapeake,  by  the  in- 
troduction of  the  surface-boat,  as  repre- 
sented in  the  above  engraving. 

This  ingenious  machine  has  many  local 
appellations.  Those  in  most  general  use  will 
be  seen  at  the  heading  of  this  article,  and 
at  the  close  of  it  the  reader  will  find  explicit  directions,  together 
with  a  skeleton  model  of  the  same  to  be  used  as  a  guide  in  building 
one  for  his  own  use. 

The  boat  is  anchored  out  on  the  feeding-grounds,  surrounded  by 
innumerable  decoys,  resembling  as  much  as  possible  the  canvas- 
backs,  and  so  balanced  in  the  water  that  the  most  observant  eye 

283 


284  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

can  hardly  distinguish  them  from  the  living  fowl,  as  they  ride 
gently  on  the  surface  and  appear  to  be  employed  in  feeding,  owing 
to  the  constant  motion  of  their  heads  and  body  imparted  to  them 
by  the  quiet  rippling  of  the  water. 

The  construction  of  this  skiff  is  such  that  when  anchored  out, 
loaded  with  the  shooter,  his  ammunition,  and  the  necessary  ballast, 
the  water  is  on  a  level  with  the  deck  of  the  box ;  and  when  re- 
clining, the  occupant  and  all  his  paraphernalia  are  entirely  con- 
cealed from  obsiervation,  insomuch  that  it  is  next  to  impossible  to 
distinguish  any  portion  of  this  curious  ambush,  even  when  within 
a  few  hundred  feet  of  it.  We  have  often  been  amazed  when  gazing 
on  the  water  in  the  direction  of  the  flats,  to  see  a  black  figure  rise 
up  suddenly,  as  if  from  the  deep,  and  blaze  forth  a  destructive 
volley  into  a  flock  of  ducks  about  to  alight,  and  then  immediately 
sink  again  from  view.  The  shooter,  having  delivered  his  well- 
directed  fire,  quickly  reloads  his  gun  or  guns,  and  throwing 
himself  again  on  his  back,  awaits  another  opportunity  to  repeat 
the  sport,  which  almost  immediately  follows,  provided  the  day  be 
favorable  for  the  flying  of  wild  fowl.  It  is  better,  in  fact  usual,  to 
have  two  or  more  double-barrelled  guns  in  the  sink,  as  a  great 
many  ducks  are  only  winged  at  the  first  discharge,  and  need  re- 
shooting  to  secure  them. 

Thus,  in  rapid  succession,  immense  numbers  of  canvas-backs,  as 
well  as  other  wild  fowl,  are  killed,  and  the  water  for  a  hundred 
feet  or  more  is  crimsoned  with  the  rich  blood  and  covered  with  the 
mangled  bodies  of  this  far-famed  duck.  Those  engaged  in  this 
profitable  way  of  killing  canvas-backs  are  always  accompanied  by 
a  companion  in  a  light  sail  or  row  boat,  who  keeps  at  a  respectful 
distance,  for  the  purpose  of  watching  over  the  safety  of  his  associate 
as  well  as  running  down  upon  the  adjacent  feeding-grounds  and 
putting  the  ducks  to  flight,  so  that  they  may  chance  to  join  the 
decoys  that  are  set  to  allure  them  as  they  pass  up  and  down  the 
feeding-shoals.  On  the  flats  in  the  coves  near  to  Havre  de  Grace 
and  Spesutia  Island,  where  this  method  of  shooting  ducks  has  been 
more  particularly  practised  during  the  last  three  seasons,  there  is 


CANVAS-BACK.  285 

but  little  or  no  current  during  calm  weather,  and  therefore  is 
singularly  suitable  for  this  kind  of  sport.  The  ducks,  after  being 
shot,  will  remain  nearly  in  the  same  place  where  they  dropped  for 
a  considerable  time  without  drifting  away ;  the  shooter,  therefore, 
pays  no  heed  to  them  until  he  has  a  large  ^  number  killed,  when  he 
makes  a  signal  to  his  companion  to  come  and  pick  them  up. 

The  amount  of  ducks  killed  in  this  way  during  the  four  past 
seasons  is  enormous, — almost  beyond  belief. 

We  are  credibly  informed  that  Mr.  W.  W.  Levy,  a  ducker  well 
known  on  the  Chesapeake  Bay  for  his  skill  in  this  particular  sport, 
has  killed  as  many  as  one  hundred  and  eighty-seven  ducks  in  one 
day,  and  during  the  seasons  of  1846  and  1847  actually  bagged 
seven  thousand  canvas-backs. 

This  system  of  killing  ducks,  we  believe,  was  introduced  on  the 
Chesapeake  Bay  by  some  of  the  experienced  wild-fowl  shooters 
from  the  vicinity  of  New  York,  and  who  now  reap  a  rich  harvest 
from  their  hardihood  and  ingenuity.  It  is  no  unusual  thing  for 
one  of  these  men  to  kill  as  many  as  fifty  couples  of  canvas-backs 
in  the  course  of  a  day;  and  if  the  weather  prove  favorable  for 
this  kind  of  shooting,  they  have  been  known  to  fill  a  small  vessel 
with  ducks  in  two  or  three  days,  which  they  immediately  despatch 
for  the  markets  of  New  York,  Baltimore,  or  Philadelphia.  These 
worthies  that  pursue  wild  fowl  for  a  living  usually  make  their 
appearance  on  the  Chesapeake  Bay  in  small  yachts,  or  rather  ill- 
looking  sloops,  in  which  they  live  and  stow  away  their  plunder, 
seldom  or  never  visiting  the  neighboring  shores,  knowing  full  well 
the  reception  they  most  likely  would  meet  with  from  the  hands  of 
those  residents  who  also  kill  ducks  during  the  winter  season  to 
sell,  and  consequently,  from  selfish  motives  alone,  are  very  testy 
and  jealous  of  those  rights  which  the  legislature  has  endeavored 
to  guarantee  to  them,  but  which  they  from  a  lack  of  principle  and 
moral  energy  are  incompetent  to  enforce  by  legal  measures. 

When  the  wind  is  blowing  pretty  fresh  and  the  ripple  high,  the 
ducks  are  more  apt  to  notice  the  decoys  than  on  perfectly  mild 
days,  and  are  also  more  likely  to  alight  among  them.    When  ducks 


286 


LEWISS     AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 


are  approaching  the  battery,  the  distance  at  which  they  are  from 
it  is  often  very  delusive,  insomuch  that  the  inexperienced  sports- 
man will  find  himself  continually  rising  up  to  shoot  before  the  fowl> 
have  got  over  the  decoys,  and  even  long  before  they  have  come 
within  fair  shooting  range.  This  act  of  ^'rising  up"  too  soon  on 
the  part  of  the  shooter  is  a  common  fault  wuth  the  beginner,  and  is 
fatal  to  his  success  in  most  instances;  as  the  ducks,  immediately 
on  his  appearance,  take  the  alarm,  and,  making  a  sudden  turn, 
sheer  off  in  time  to  save  themselyes. 

Ducks  should  be  shot  after  they  have  alighted,  or  just  when 
dropping  their  legs  in  the  act  of  settling  on  the  water,  and  not  a 
moment  sooner. 


DESCRIPTION   OF   THE    MODEL,    WITH    PARTICULAR    DIRECTIONS    FOR 
BUILDING   A   SINK,  OR   BATTERY. 

A,  A.  The  box  in  which  the  shooter  lies  concealed. 

B.  A  rim  of  sheet-lead  extending  entirely  around  the  box,  to  prevent  the 
ripple  from  washing  in  upon  the  shooter. 

c,  c,  c.  Another  rim  of  sheet-lead,  as  a  still  further  protection  from  the 
ripple. 

D,  D,  D,  D.  The  platform,  or  false  deck  surrounding  the  box,  supported  by 
carlings. 

E,  E,  E,  E,  E,  E,  E,  E,  E.  MusHn  sheeting,  or  canvas,  stretched  over  the  wooden 
frames  running  around  the  platform. 


CANVAS-BACK.  287 

r.  A  board  or  frame  attached  to  g  by  leather  hinges. 
.  G.  Another  board  or  frame,  secured  to  the  deck  by  strong  iron  hinges. 

H,  H,  H,  H,  H,  H,  H,  H.  Leather  hinges,  securing  the  frames  (on  which  the 
canvas  is  tacked)  to  the  platform  or  deck. 

I,  I.  Wrought-iron  hinges,  constructed  with  arms,  so  as  to  allow  the  end- 
wing  to  fold  over  the  side-wings,  which  are  first  drawn  in  upon  the  deck 
when  the  battery  is  to  be  removed  from  its  position. 

K,  K,  K,  K.  Ropes  extending  from  the  extremities  of  the  frames,  and  to 
which  the  canvas  is  also  attached:  this  arrangement  permits  the  wings  to  be 
folded  more  readily  upon  the  deck. 

L,  L.  Points  at  which  a  rope  is  passed  through  the  cartings  supporting  the 
deck,  to  the  middle  or  bight  of  which  rope  the  cable  of  the  head-anchor  is 
attached. 

M.  Point  at  which  the  foot-anchor  is  attached  to  the  carling  supporting  the 
deck. 

Having  given,  we  tru&t,  a  satisfactory  explanation  of  the  model, 
we  will  now  proceed  to  give  some  special  instructions  as  to  the 
building  of  the  battery.  The  timber  most  usually  employed  is 
one-inch  white  pine,  except  in  the  case  of  the  head  and  foot  of 
the  box,  which  should  be  made  of  two-inch  oak,  or  some  other 
hard  and  durable  wood.  The  side-boards  and  bottom  of  the  box 
are  attached  to  the  head  and  foot;  and  the  strength  of  the  box, 
as  well  as  the  deck,  is  in  a  great  measure  dependent  upon  these 
oaken  timbers. 

The  carlings,  or  small  beams  which  support  the  platform  or  deck, 
are  also  made  of  oak,  one  and  a  half  inch  thick,  five  inches  wide 
in  centre,  reduced  at  their  extremities  to  one  and  a  half  inch,  and 
secured  to  the  ends  and  sides  of  the  box  by  means  of  screw-bolts 
or  large  wrought  nails. 

The  length,  width,  and  depth  of  the  box  must  of  course  be 
proportioned  to  the  size  of  the  shooter;  for  an  ordinary-sized 
individual,  the  following  dimensions  are  amply  sufficient : — 

TEST.  INCHES. 

Length  of  box 6      3 

Depth        '♦      1       IJ 

Width        "      at  top 2 

Width        "      at  bottom 1      8 

Length  of  platform  or  deck 12 

Width  '*  "  7 

Width  or  height  of  rims  of  sheet-lead 4 


288  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

FEET.  INCHES. 

Width   of   the   frames    to  which  the  canvas   is 

tacked 2      1 

Width  of  boards  r  and  g,  each 8 

Width  of  canvas  vring  at  the  head 9 

The  deck  is  not  a  perfect  plane,  but  declines,  or  rather  is  graded 
off,  from  the  box  on  every  side  to  the  extent  say  of  one  inch.  This 
slope  or  dip  of  the  deck  permits  the  ripple  to  wash  or  play  over 
the  platform  the  more  securely,  having  a  constant  tendency  to  the 
edges  instead  of  the  centre,  where  the  box  is  placed, — the  opposite 
of  which  would  be  the  case  if  the  deck  was  a  dead  level. 

The  entire  edge  of  the  box  is  slightly  elevated  above  the  surface 
of  the  deck, — say  an  eighth  to  a  quarter  of  an  inch ;  to  this  edge 
the  inner  rim  of  sheet-lead  is  tacked,  extending  entirely  around 
the  box,  and,  being  very  pliable,  is  raised  up  at  an  angle  of  forty- 
five  degrees  just  before  launching  the  battery  into  its  position  on 
the  shooting-grounds,  which  precaution  will  prevent  the  ripple  from 
washing  into  the  box. 

The  outer  rim  of  sheet-lead  c,  c,  c,  it  will  be  observed,  does  not 
extend  entirely  around  the  deck,  that  being  totally  unnecessary, 
from  the  circumstance  of  the  sea  or  ripple  seldom  or  never  being 
sufficiently  violent  to  break  over  the  foot  or  sides  so  as  to  endanger 
the  comfort  of  the  shooter;  and  when  such  should  be  the  case  it 
is  time  for  the  ducker  to  decamp  for  more  secure  quarters. 

The  head  of  the  battery,  it  will  be  seen,  has  two  eight-inch 
boards.  The  inner  one  G,  as  explained  above,  is  attached  to  the 
deck  by  stout  iron  hinges  I,  I,  made  with  projecting  arms,  so  that 
the  whole  head-wing  may  turn  in  upon  the  two  side-wings,  which 
are  first  folded  up  when  the  box  is  about  being  removed  from  its 
position.  The  other  frame  F  is  secured  to  G  by  strong  leather 
hinges,  as  well  as  the  balance  of  the  frame  to  which  the  canvas  is 
tacked. 

The  head  of  the  battery  is  always  anchored  to  the  breeze,  and, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  is  obliged  to  sustain  the  principal  shock 
from  the  wind  and  waves,  and  of  necessity  is  made  differently  as 
well  as  much  stronger  than  the  foot,  by  the  addition  of  the  frame- 


CANVAS-BACK.  289 

work  P  and  G,  and  which,  from  their  peculiar  construction  and 
attachment  to  the  solid  platform,  oppose  a  pliable  but  at  the 
same  time  safe  resistance  to  the  shock  of  the  waves. 

It  is  most  important  to  know  exactly  how  to  attach  the  anchors 
to  the  battery,  more  particularly  the  one  at  the  head ;  for  without 
proper  precaution  on  this  point  the  whole  machine  would  ride 
most  unpleasantly  to  the  shooter  at  the  slightest  puff  of  Old 
Boreas. 

To  explain  this  more  fully,  we  have  caused  two  points  or  dots 
— L,  L — to  be  placed  on  the  model  at  the  head  of  the  box,  to  show 
the  position  of  the  ends  of  the  rope  to  which  the  anchor  is 
attached,  and  have  defined  above  the  manner  in  which  the  cable 
of  the  anchor  is  to  be  secured  to  the  bight  of  this  rope. 

The  advantages  of  this  arrangement  should  at  once  be  obvious 
to  the  greenest  landsman ;  for  the  head  of  the  platform,  being  in  a 
measure  free  from  restraint,  is  permitted  to  rise  and  fall  with  the 
swell  of  the  sea,  with  an  easy  motion,  thus  protecting  the  shooter 
from  the  disagreeable  consequences  of  the  waves  breaking  in  over 
the  deck,  which  would  be  the  inevitable  result  if  the  anchor  was 
attached  to  the  extreme  end  of  the  platform ;  as  the  head  of  the 
battery,  during  a  heavy  blow,  would  be  pulled  entirely  under 
water,  and  the  whole  machine,  even  during  a  comparative  calm, 
would  be  subjected  to  a  jerking,  disagreeable  motion. 

The  position  of  the  foot-anchor  we  have  designated  by  the  point 
M,  and  requires  no  further  explanation. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  box  there  is  a  false  bottom,  or  drainage- 
board,  which  takes  up  an  inch  and  a  half  of  the  original  depth. 
Notwithstanding  this  additional  loss  of  space,  there  is  still  sufficient 
room  remaining  of  the  thirteen  and  a  half  inches  not  only  to  ac- 
commodate, but  absolutely  to  hide  below  the  surface  of  the  plat- 
form, the  shooter  himself,  as  well  as  the  sheepskin  or  buffalo-robe 
upon  which  he  reposes. 

As  to  the  amount  of  ballast  necessary  for  a  battery  such  as  we 

have  described,  that  must  be  regulated  by  the  state  of  the  wind 

and  waves,  and  other  circumstances;  it  will  vary,  however,  from 

19 


290  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

fifty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  increasing  from  the  lesser  to 
the  greater  amount  in  proportion  to  the  violence  of  the  elements. 
Portions  of  iron  pigs  are  most  convenient  for  ballast. 

When  these  batteries  are  intended  to  be  occasionally  towed  out 
to  their  position  on  the  flats,  they  should  be  made  sharp  at  the 
stern  or  bow  by  the  addition  of  a  false  cut-water ;  otherwise  it  will 
require  heavy  pulling  to  get  them  along.  Most,  if  not  all,  of  those 
in  the  hands  of  the  regular  bay  shooters  are  made  square  at  the 
ends,  and,  thus  constituted,  answer  their  purposes  perfectly  well, 
for  they  move  them  from  point  to  point  only  by  hauling  them  on 
board  of  their  large  row  or  sail  boats,  which  convey  the  whole 
party  on  these  expeditions. 

On  looking  at  the  drawing,  several  decoy-ducks  will  be  noticed 
on  the  platform.  The  bodies  of  these  ducks  are  reduced  in  bulk,  or, 
in  other  words,  are  shaved  down  to  one-third  of  their  original  thick- 
ness, and  permanently  fixed  to  the  deck  at  suitable  intervals,  with 
movable  heads,  which  are  slipped  on  and  off  at  pleasure  by  the 
ducker,  as  he  takes  his  position  in  the  box  or  retreats  from  it. 
The  number  of  decoys  set  out  around  the  battery  is  not  often  less 
than  two  hundred,  and  most  generally  two  hundred  and  fifty,  or 
even  more.  Each  decoy  has  a  string  several  feet  long  attached  to 
it  from  a  loop  in  the  breast,  and  to  the  end  of  each  string  is  tied  a 
small  piece  of  leaden  pipe  or  other  convenient  metal,  or  even  a 
fragment  of  stone  sufficiently  heavy  to  anchor  the  decoy  and  pre- 
vent its  floating  ofi"  from  its  position. 

The  arranging  or  putting  out  of  so  great  a  number  of  decoys 
around  the  battery,  on  a  cool,  blustering  December  morning,  is  no 
child's  play,  we  can  assure  the  uninitiated  reader,  and  is  only 
equalled,  or  rather  excelled,  in  point  of  discomfiture,  by  the  pro- 
cess of  taking  them  up  again  in  the  evening,  when  it  is  necessary 
to  wind  the  wet  and  half-frozen  strings  around  each  one  to  prevent 
entanglement  when  placed  together  in  the  boat.* 

*  Decoys  made  of  solid  blocks,  such  as  are  universally  used,  can  be  had  of 
duckers  on  the  bay,  if  ordered  during  the  idle  season,  at  a  moderate  price,  ranging 
from  twenty  to  thirty  dollars  a  hundred. 


CANVAS-BACK.  291 

A  small  pad  or  pillow  for  the  head  to  lie  on  should  be  placed  at 
the  top  of  the  box,  and  in  severe  weather  the  shooter  will  find  a 
woollen  helmet,  vizor,  or  mask,  a  very  comfortable  contrivance  to 
protect  him  from  the  cold  blasts. 

We  were  formerly  under  the  impression  that  much  danger  was 
to  be  apprehended  from  the  accidental  sinking  of  these  batteries ; 
but  we  are  now  satisfied,  from  further  observation  and  the  expe- 
rience of  old  duckers  who  have  used  these  machines  properly  con- 
structed, (for  the  early  ones  were  susceptible  of  much  improvement,) 
that  our  fears  are  rather  gratuitous. 

Mr.  W.  W.  Levy,  of  Havre  de  Grace,  to  whom  we  are  indebted 
for  a  rough  but  very  complete  drawing  of  a  battery  from  which 
the  above  sketch  was  taken,  as  well  as  much  other  valuable  in- 
formation upon  this  subject,  assures  us  that  a  box  built  such  as  we 
have  described  could  not,  by  actual  experiment,  be  made  to  sink 
below  the  surface,  whe7i  filled  with  water,  loaded  with  two  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds  of  pic/  iron  and  the  addition  of  two  stout  men. 

This  experiment  we  cannot  but  consider  a  very  extreme  one, 
and  the  result  most  conclusive ;  and  we  shall  no  longer  hesitate  in 
recommending  our  sporting  friends  to  consign  themselves,  without 
hesitation  or  fear,  to  one  of  these  'cunning  machines  whenever  a 
fitting  opportunity  presents  itself. 

The  ease  with  which  one  of  these  batteries  rides  on  the  surface 
of  the  bay,  even  during  a  heavy  blow,  is  very  remarkable ;  we 
have  been  quite  comfortable  in  them,  when  it  required  two  strong 
oarsmen  to  row  a  light  gunning  skLff. 


292  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

AMBUSH   ON   THE   FLATS. 

We  noticed  last  season  a  very  simple  but  at  the  same  time 
rather  ingenious  contrivance  erected  on  the  flats  in  Elk  River, 
from  which  to  shoot  ducks.  We  have  never  seen  any  thing  of  the 
kind  before,  but  presume  something  similar  may  have  been  adopted 
elsewhere  by  others. 

This  ambush  or  blind,  as  all  such  contrivances  are  termed  in 
this  particular  section,  was  constructed  in  this  wise : — 

Some  shooters,  taking  advantage  of  low  tide,  had  driven  into 
the  soft  mud,  in  the  very  centre  of  the  widest  expanse  of  feeding- 
ground,  and  in  the  very  path  of  the  ducks  as  they  flew  up  and 
down  the  river,  four  strong  posts,  forming  a  square. 

These  posts  or  piles  were  perforated  on  their  upper  portion, 
which  extended  far  above  low-water  mark,  with  large  holes  of 
sufficient  capacity  to  permit  the  introduction  of  long  hickory  pins, 
which  passed  entirely  through  and  projected  several  inches  from 
the  inside.  Upon  these  pins  thus  secured  was  placed  a  light 
frame,  sufficiently  strong,  however,  to  bear  the  weight  of  the 
shooter,  who  lay  there  completely  concealed  from  observation  by 
a  profusion  of  cedar  brush  and  eel-grass  piled  around  him. 

The  numerous  holes  in  the  posts  were  necessary  for  the  purpose 
of  raising  up  and  letting  down  the  framework  to  suit  the  state 
of  the  tide,  which  was  very  easily  accomplished  before  the  sports- 
man took  his  position. 

This  particular  kind  of  blind  was  especially  adapted  for  this 
river,  as  the  narrow  steamboat-channel  is  marked  out  in  its  whole 
course  by  long  poles  thrust  into  the  mud  on  either  border,  each 
one  of  which  was  surmounted  by  a  heavy  piece  of  cedar-brush, 
with  which  the  ducks  soon  become  familiar  while  feeding,  and 
therefore  take  no  precaution  to  avoid  while  flying,  which  also  was 
the  case  with  the  blind;  and  most  excellent  shooting  at  times 
was  thus  obtained  from  this  cunningly-devised  ambuscade. 

The  flats  or  feeding-grounds  on  Elk  River  are  quite  extensive, 
and  occasionally  attract  enormous  hosts  of  wild  fowl,  more  espe- 


CANVAS-BACK.  293 

cially  when  they  have  been  greatly  harassed  by  the  boats  and 
batteries  on  the  Susquehanna  and  Chesapeake,  as  both  these  modes 
of  warfare  are  strictly  interdicted  upon  this  stream.  During  the 
season  of  1850,  we  had  considerable  sport  shooting  over  decoys  off 
the  points  on  Elk  River,  the  weather  being  mild,  and  the  ducks, 
both  canvas-backs  and  red-heads,  being  more  numerous  than  we 
had  ever  before  witnessed  them  on  this  water. 

STOOLING   OFF   POINTS. 

Another  method  of  killing  ducks  by  means  of  decoys  is  to  anchor 
them  off  a  short  distance  from  some  one  of  the  many  points  along 
the  bay  or  river-shores,  more  particularly  on  those  points  in  the 
narrows  of  Spesutia  Island.  When  the  canvas-backs  are  flying 
and  the  weather  is  not  too  severe,  this  plan  affords  most  excellent 
sport,  and  great  numbers  may  be  killed.  This  kind  of  shooting 
requires  the  assistance  of  a  dog ;  and  none  but  a  Newfoundland  or 
other  hardy  water-spaniel  of  some  good  breed  will  be  able  to  stand 
the  work,  if  the  weather  is  very  cold;  as  the  frequent  plunging 
into  the  water  chills  and  stiffens  the  animal  to  such  an  extent  that 
he  is  often  barely  able  to  walk  or  swim.* 

When  the  weather  is  very  calm  and  the  surface  of  the  river 
remains  unruffled  by  a  breeze,  although  the  ducks  may  be  flying, 
they  will  not  dart  to  decoys,  more  especially  off  points,  as  readily 
as  if  they  had  a  certain  degree  of  motion  imparted  to  them  by  the 
gentle  ripple  of  the  waters. 

For  when  perfectly  still  the  decoys,  no  matter  how  well  made  or 
proportioned,  lose  that  lifelike  appearance  which  they  present  when 
bobbing  up  and  down  as  if  in  the  very  act  of  feeding ;  and,  con- 
sequently, are  wanting  in  their  chief  attraction  for  the  ducks  that 
may  be  on  the  wing  in  quest  of  more  secure  and  fruitful  feeding- 
places. 


*  Decoys  made  of  solid  blocks  of  wood  are  preferable  to  those  made  hollow ;  they 
are  less  expensive  and  not  so  easily  injured  by  the  shot,  and  also  require  far  lesa 
gentle  handling.  From  fifty  to  one  hundred  are  necessary  for  point-shooting, — the 
more  thp  better. 


294  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

We  have  before  us  a  late  number  of  the  Spirit  of  the  Times, 
which  contains  an  excellent  article  on  duck-shooting,  wherein  is 
described  a  very  ingenious  plan  adopted  by  the  writer  for  impart- 
ing this  particular  motion  to  the  decoys  on  a  still  day ;  and,  as  the 
expedient  is  quite  novel  as  well  as  practicable,  we  shall  transfer 
the  description  of  it  in  the  words  of  the  author  to  these  pages, 
feeling  sure  that  it  will  prove  serviceable  to  some  of  our  sporting 
friends  under  like  circumstances  : — 

^'  Ducks  not  decoying  well  on  calm  days,  of  which  we  had  quite 
a  number  in  December,  we  hit  upon  a  somewhat  novel  expedient 
to  attract  their  attention  to  our  decoys.  A  dozen  stakes  of  about 
two  feet  in  length  were  firmly  driven  into  the  soft  bed  of  the  river, 
at  a  distance  of  some  forty  yards  from  the  blind,  so  that  at  low- 
water  their  upper  ends  were  quite  a  foot  beneath  the  surface. 
Through  the  tops  of  these  stakes,  on  which  we  had  bored  holes  of 
an  inch  in  diameter,  having  rings  of  stout  iron  wire  inserted  in 
them  to  prevent  chafing,  were  passed  strings  of  the  proper  length, 
one  of  the  ends  of  which  was  carried  into  the  blind,  while  the  others 
were  attached  to  the  necks  of  the  decoy-ducks.  These  latter  were 
anchored  by  heavy  anchors  at  such  a  distance  from  the  stakes  that, 
when  pulled  upon  by  the  strings,  the  anchors  remaining  firm,  they 
were  suddenly  drawn  head-foremost  beneath  the  water,  represent- 
ing very  fairly  the  diving  of  the  real  fowl.  The  ends  of  the  strings 
within  the  blind  were  attached  to  small  sticks,  four  in  number, 
being  three  to  each,  and  one  person  could  thus  manage  at  the  same 
time  all  or  a  portion  of  the  decoys. 

"Around  these  divers,  (as  we  termed  them,)  which  were  scattered 
over  a  considerable  extent  of  water,  were  set  the  usual  number  of 
decoys,  taking  care  to  place  the  latter  so  as  not  to  interfere  with 
the  action  of  the  strings  of  the  former.  Not  being  aware  of  its 
ever  having  been  tried  before,  we  were  exceedingly  anxious  about 
the  result  of  our  experiment ;  and  on  the  first  calm  day,  all  being 
prepared,  we  looked  anxiously  for  the  appearance  of  a  flock  of 
ducks  with  which  to  test  its  success.  A  bunch  of  canvas-backs 
passing  down  the  river  soon  came  in  sight,  but  holding  their  way 


I 


CANVAS-BACK.  295 

SO  far  out  that  we  despaired  of  attracting  their  notice.  When 
directly  opposite,  however,  we  commenced  vigorously  working  our 
divers^  and,  to  our  surprise  and  delight,  the  flock  immediately 
turned  in,  and,  passing  back  and  forth  two  or  three  times,  came 
up  most  beautifully. 

"  This  success  at  once  settled  the  question  of  the  utility  of  our 
device,  and  during  the  whole  of  this  day,  on  which  there  was  not 
sufficient  wind  to  ruffle  the  surface  of  the  water,  we  had  excellent 
sport,  many  fowl  passing  up  and  down  the  river,  and  almost  every 
bunch  that  were  not  too  far  off  to  see  our  decoys  came  up  fear- 
lessly and  without  hesitation ;  with  single  ducks,  or  when  only  two 
or  three  were  together,  we  were  invariably  successful.  Day  after 
day,  the  weather  being  inild  and  calm  for  this  time  of  the  year, 
we  tried  it  with  complete  success,  and  to  this  simple  expedient  we 
owed  decidedly  the  best  portion  of  our  shooting ;  its  excellence 
existing  not  only  with  regard  to  the  canvas-back,  but  also  to  the 
red-head  and  scaup-duck.  The  success  with  which  we  met  was 
owing  partly  to  the  exceedingly  natural  appearance  of  the  decoys, 
for  this  number  of  divers  scattered  through  some  seventy  or 
eighty  gave  the  semblance  of  life  to  the  remainder,  and,  creating 
a  ripple  on  the  water,  made  them  show  much  better ;  besides  this, 
ducks  passing  at  a  distance  frequently  do  not  see  decoys,  and  a 
slight  motion  among  the  latter  is  at  once  sufficient  to  draw  their 
attention ;  this  done,  their  coming  up  to  such  well-gotten-up  affairs 
follows  almost  as  a  matter  of  course."* 


HOLES   IN   THE   ICE. 

As  the  season  advances,  ducks  are  frequently  obliged  to  abandon 
their  favorite  feeding-grounds  in  the  upper  bay,  owing  to  the  large 
masses  of  floating  ice  that  are  constantly  coming  down  the  Susque- 
hanna and  the  smaller  streams  they  are  wont  to  frequent.  The 
canvas-backs  are  now  driven  to  great  extremes  to  procure  food, 

*  See  Spirit  of  the  Times,  February  5,  1853. 


296  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

and  are  almost  constantly  on  the  wing  in  quest  of  suitable  spots 
to  dive  down  for  the  still  tender  roots  of  the  valisineria. 

At  this  juncture,  a  cruel  advantage  is  taken  of  the  half-starved 
condition  of  the  poor  canvas-backs  to  entice  them  within  the  reach 
of  the  murderous  guns  of  those  who  lie  in  ambuscade  upon  the 
shores  of  the  Gunpowder,  Bush,  Elk,  and  the  many  other  smaller 
streams  which  are  now  frozen  over.  A  large  hole  of  many  feet  in 
diameter  is  cut  in  the  ice  directly  over  some  choice  feeding-shoal, 
sufficiently  near,  however,  to  the  land  to  allow  of  its  being  raked 
by  the  guns  of  those  concealed  behind  a  hlind  erected  on  the 
shore.  Large  numbers  of  wild  fowl,  more  particularly  the  canvas- 
backs,  may  be  killed  in  this  way,  and  the  shooter  can  lie  still  and 
bang  away  at  the  ducks  all  day  long,  as  fliey  will  oftentimes  con- 
tinue coming  and  going  as  fast  almost  as  he  can  load,  provided 
they  are  driven  to  the  extremity  we  have  mentioned  above.  These 
seasons  of  scarcity  are  not  by  any  means  unusual;  and  a  friend 
of  the  author  informs  him  that  he  has  killed  as  many  as  one 
himdred  and  fifty  canvas-backs  over  one  of  these  feeding-holes  in 
one  day  on  the  Gunpowder  River. 

POINT-SHOOTING. 

Several  of  the  above  plans  of  shooting  ducks  may  be  said  to  be 
illegitimate  ways  of  sporting,  although  pursued  indiscriminately 
by  all  those  of  our  friends  who  participate  in  wild-fowl  shooting. 
The  really  sportsmanlike  way  of  killing  canvas-backs,  however,  is 
for  the  shooter  to  station  himself  on  some  one  of  the  many  points 
or  bars  along  the  bay-shore  or  its  tributaries  that  the  ducks  fly 
over  in  their  course  to  and  from  their  feeding-grounds.  Much 
depends,  in  this  kind  of  shooting,  upon  the  disposition  of  the  ele- 
ments; for  neither  pleasure  nor  success  can  be  reasonably  ex- 
pected if  the  weather  is  intensely  cold  or  the  wind  blowing  fresh 
from  a  quarter  that  carries  the  ducks  off  from  the  point  rather 
than  on  it. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  the  wind  and  weather  prove  favorable 
and  the  ducks  are  flying  briskly,  there  is  not  a  more  delightful  way 


CANVAS-BACK.  297 

of  enjoying  one's  self  than  in  point-shooting.  Great  skill  and 
judgment  are  requisite  to  strike  the  ducks ;  and  when  thus  sud- 
denly stopped  in  their  rapid  course,  they  present  a  beautiful  sight 
as  they  come  tumbling  down  with  a  heavy  plash  from  a  height  of 
one,  two,  or  even  three,  hundred  feet. 

It  is  this  kind  of  duck-shooting  that  either  displays  the  igno- 
rance or  dexterity  of  the  sportsman ;  for,  without  long  practice 
in  this  particular  branch,  the  best  general  shooter  in  the  country 
would  appear  to  little  advantage  alongside  even  of  an  indifferent 
ducker. 

The  principal  sites  on  the  Chesapeake  Bay  where  sportsmen 
resort  for  this  kind  of  pastime  are  the  points  immediately  about 
Havre  de  Grace,  the  Narrows  of  Spesutia,  a  few  miles  farther 
down,  Taylor's  Island,  Abbey  Island,  Legoe's  Point,  Marshy  Point, 
Bengie's  Point,  Robbins's  and  Ricket's  Point,  Maxwell's  Point, 
and  Carrol's  Island.  There  are  also  some  good  points  about  Elk 
and  Northeast  Rivers,  and  a  few  on  the  western  shore.* 

Carrol's  Island  has  long  been  in  possession  of  a  club  of  sports- 
men, who  regularly  resort  to  this  favorite  spot  during  the  ducking 
season,  and  seldom  return  home  without  being  heavily  laden  with 
the  rich  spoils  of  their  skill.  Not  only  canvas-backs,  but  the 
larger  species  of  wild  fowl,  are  killed  at  Carrol's  Island.  Numbers 
of  swans  and  geese  are  seen  flying  about  these  points ;  and  the 
ambitious  sportsman  will  often  have  an  opportunity  to  bring  down 
with  his  steady  hand  the  most  majestic  as  well  as  the  most  beautiful 
of  all  the  feathered  race.     If  any  of  our  readers  should  feel  this 


*  There  is  a  considerable  diflference  between  har-shooting  Q;ndi  point-shooting.  The 
latter  we  have  already  described  ;  and,  to  make  the  former  intelligible  to  our  read- 
ers, we  must  premise  our  remarks  by  stating  that,  along  the  shores  of  the  Chesa- 
peake, the  land  stretching  out  into  the  bay  to  form  these  shooting-points  is  often  a 
mere  narrow  peninsula,  termed  a  bar,  over  which  the  ducks  are  constantly  passing 
and  repassing  to  their  feeding-grounds,  without  going  out  of  their  usual  course  to 
weather  the  points,  as  they  would  do  under  ordinary  circumstances ;  most  of  the 
shooting,  therefore,  is  perpendicular,  and  consequently  far  more  difficult  than 
when  shooting  directly  off  the  point.  Maxwell's  Point  is  thus  formed  by  a  very 
narrow  strip  of  land.  The  shooting-points  on  the  Elk  River  are  Locust  Point, 
Plumb  Point,  Little  and  Big  Welsh.     Nearly  all  these  shooting-points  are  rented  out. 


298  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPOKTSMAN. 

laudable  ambition — and  where  is  the  t jro  who  w^ill  not  ? — we  trust 
that  he  may  prove  more  successful  than  we  did  at  our  dehut  upon 
swan-shooting;  having,  much  to  our  mortification,  fired  both  bar- 
rels of  a  heavy  duck-gun  from  behind  an  ambush  into  a  noble  flock 
of  sixteen  swans  quietly  feeding  on  the  water  within  sixty  yards 
of  us,  without  even  as  much  as  rumpling  a  single  feather  of  their 
plumage.  But  then  there  was  a  reason  why,  as  all  sportsmen  have 
good  excuses  for  their  bad  shooting ;  at  all  events,  they  strive  very 
hard  to  concoct  plausible  ones,  by  which  to  gull  their  companions. 
But  in  this  case,  unfortunately  for  our  credit  as  a  marksman,  the 
gun  was  neither  strange,  bad,  nor  overloaded ;  neither  did  it  snap, 
hang  fire,  overshoot  nor  undershoot  its  mark;  but  the  plain  and 
simple  fact  is — shall  we  have  recourse  to  so  hackneyed  a  plea? — to 
cut  the  matter  short  and  solve  the  mystery,  we  had  no  number  B  B 
shot  in  the  barrels,  one  of  our  companions  having  drawn  the  charge 
the  night  before,  by  way  of  aff'ording  himself  some  amusement  at 
our  expense  on  the  following  day. 

Jokers,  however,  often  get  hurt  with  the  recoil  of  their  own 
weapons ;  and  so  it  was  in  this  case.  As  we  were  entirely  alone, 
and  separated  from  the  projector  of  this  trick  when  we  fired  at  the 
swans,  we  suspected  something  wrong,  and  did  not  relate  the  cir- 
cumstance till  after  he  had  confessed  drawing  the  load  and  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  know  the  result  of  our  first  two  shots ;  and  then, 
greatly  to  his  chagrin,  he  learned  that  we  might  have  had  added 
to  our  lot  of  ducks  several  noble  cygnets,  if  he  had  restrained 
his  silly  propensity  to  make  us  a  laughing-stock  for  the  company. 
Such  an  opportunity  to  distinguish  ourself  in  the  field  of  wild-fowl 
shooting  we  never  again  expect  to  meet  with,  as  we  are  satisfied 
that  we  should  have  killed,  on  this  occasion,  not  less  than  six 
swans,  and  perhaps  more ;  for  they  were  all  huddled  together  in 
such  a  manner,  when  we  drew  on  them,  that  hardly  one  could  have 
escaped  from  the  effects  of  our  fire.* 

*  We  do  not  mean  to  assert  that  we  might  have  bagged  the  whole  sixteen  by  one 
"  coup  de  fusil,"  or  even  with  two;  but  we  do  say,  most  positively,  that  scarcely  one 
could  have  gotten  off  without  carrying  a  few  pellets  of  shot  with  him. 


CANVAS-BACK.  299 


ART   OF   SHOOTING   DUCKS. 


We  have  now  nearly  drawn  to  a  close  the  whole  subject  of  wild- 
fowl shooting;  but  little  remains  to  say  further,  except,  perhaps, 
an  effort  on  our  part  to  instruct  beginners  in  the  art  of  shooting 
ducks,  both  on  the  wing  and  water.  Without  some  instructions  on 
this  head,  and  a  great  deal  of  practice  besides,  we  can  assure  the 
most  determined  tyro  that  he  would  make  but  a  poor  show  of 
shooting  among  the  skilful  duckers  of  the  Chesapeake.  He  might, 
however,  stand  an  equal  chance  with  the  oldest  of  them,  provided 
he  could  ever  be  so  fortunate  as  to  meet  with  canvas-backs  in  the 
same  predicament  that  a  correspondent  of  the  Spirit  states  that 
some  punters  found  a  flock  of  black  and  gray  ducks  on  the  ice  of 
Little  Creek,  in  Canada ;  that  is,  too  fat  to  fly,  and  wanting  in 
energy  sufficient  to  get  out  of  the  way  when  pursued. 

The  particulars  of  this  sporting  incident  being  so  very  curious 
and  unique,  we  think  it  worth  while  to  transfer  to  our  pages  the 
extract  of  the  letter  containing  the  details,  leaving  it  for  naturalists 
and  sportsmen  to  explain  the  phenomenon  as  they  best  can.  As 
for  ourselves,  we  do  not  feel  inclined  to  believe  that  ducks  could 
become  too  fat  to  fly,  in  the  month  of  December,  in  the  bleak 
regions  of  Canada,  and  doubt  very  much  whether  such  an  occur- 
rence could  be  so  general  under  any  circumstances,  no  matter  how 
plenty  the  most  nutritious  food  might  be.  Might  not  the  singular 
conduct  of  these  fowl  be  attributed  rather  to  sickness  produced  by 
some  unnatural  cause,  or  perhaps  the  eating  of  some  deleterious 
substance  forced  upon  them  by  the  severity  of  the  weather  ?  How- 
ever, here  is  the  extract ;  we  give  it  as  we  find  it : — 

"By-the-by,  talking  of  cold,  I  have  a  most  extraordinary  cir- 
cumstance to  tell  you  in  the  sporting  way.  Two  punters  last  week 
went  to  the  Long  Island  marsh,  which  has  been  for  some  time 
frozen  up,  for  the  purpose  of  trapping.  Walking  along  the  ice  near 
the  creek, — I  think  called  Little  Creek, — they  saw  a  great  number 
of  ducks  on  the  ice,  and  crawled  up  very  cautiously  to  get  a  shot. 
They  were,  however,  much  surprised,  on  coming  near  them,  to  find 


300  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

that  they  did  not  appear  at  all  alarmed,  and  concluded  that  they 
must  be  frozen,  or  something  of  the  sort;  they  consequently  did 
not  fire,  but  continued  to  approach  until  they  caught  one.  Upon 
this  the  others  scattered,  but  did  not  attempt  to  fly ;  and  a  chase 
ensued,  which  ended  in  the  capture  of  no  less  than  seventy-six,  all 
,  black  and  gray  ducks,  and  one  wild  goose.  The  next  day  they 
came  across  some  more  in  the  same  way,  and  took  thirty-four :  in 
all,  one  hundred  and  eleven.  Did  you  ever  see  or  hear  the  like  of 
that  ? — a  novel  sort  of  duck-hunting !  The  birds  were  actually  so 
fat  that  the  punters  attribute  their  success  in  taking  them  to  their 
inability  to  rise  in  consequence." 

Canvas-backs  fly  with  great  strength  and  velocity,  and  require  a 
heavy  blow  to  bring  them  down ;  if  winged  only,  it  is  almost  use- 
less to  pursue  them  either  with  a  dog  or  in  a  boat,  as  they  dive 
with  so  much  celerity,  and  swim  such  great  distances  under  water, 
that  it  is  next  to  an  impossibility  to  overtake  them,  or  even  to 
shoot  them  if  within  gunshot,  as  they  only  come  to  the  top  of 
the  water  for  an  instant,  and  duck  down  again  before  a  snap-shot 
could  get  a  range  on  them  even  with  a  light  partridge-gun,  let 
alone  a  heavy  duck-gun.  Dogs  accustomed  to  duck-shooting  soon 
learn  this  fact,  as  before  stated,  and  will  not  be  induced  to  follow 
after  a  wounded  canvas-back  if  able  to  dive.  The  shooter  will 
therefore  see  at  once  the  importance  of  striking  canvas-backs  in  a 
vital  spot.  The  head  and  neck  are  the  portions  we  should  always 
endeavor  to  hit,  as  a  single  pellet  of  shot  lodged  in  these  portions 
of  the  body  will  do  as  much  execution  as  a  half-dozen  imbedded  in 
the  breast  or  other  fleshy  parts.  To  accomplish  this,  many  cir- 
cumstances must  be  taken  into  consideration,  and  must  be  run  over 
in  one's  mind  at  a  moment  when  there  is  not  a  second  to  ponder 
on  the  subject.  For  example,  we  should  be  able  to  tell  at  a  glance 
the  probable  distance  the  ducks  are  from  us,  their  height,  the  velo- 
city with  which  they  are  flying,  the  course  they  are  pursuing,  &c. 
&c. ;  for  without  a  just  appreciation  of  all  these  particulars  we 
shall  be  very  apt  to  shoot  over  them,  under  them,  before  them,  or 
behind  them.     This  kind  of  rapid  mental  calculation,  though  very 


CANVAS-BACK.  301 

troublesome  at  first,  will  soon  become  a  kind  of  intuitive  habit  by 
practice,  and  the  gun  will  be  found  almost  of  itself  to  take  the 
proper  direction,  seemingly  unguided  by  any  special  will  of  the 
shooter. 


FURTHER   INSTRUCTIONS. 

Never  shoot  at  ducks  as  they  are  coming  towards  you ;  wait  till 
they  are  on  a  line  with  your  person,  or  till  they  have  passed  you, 
as  it  is  almost  impossible  for  shot  to  penetrate  through  the  thick 
plumage  of  a  duck  when  presented  in  this  position.  As  the  ducks 
are  approaching,  raise  your  gun,  take  sight  on  them,  and  follow 
the  foremost  with  the  eye  and  weapon  until  they  come  immedi- 
ately overhead,  or  rather  in  a  line  parallel  with  your  body;  then 
slide  the  gun  with  a  quick  motion  a  short  distance  in  front  of 
the  flying  column,  being  careful,  however,  to  preserve  its  range 
directly  in  their  course,  and  fire  without  stopping  the  motion  of 
the  arm. 

The  distance  which  the  gun  is  thus  thrown  before  the  ducks  de- 
pends entirely  upon  their  probable  distance  from  the  shooter,  the 
velocity  with  which  they  are  flying,  and  the  other  points  already 
alluded  to  above,  all  of  which  must  be  ascertained  in  a  moment  of 
time,  when  the  eye  is  resting  upon  the  birds  along  the  barrel  of 
the  gun.  One  or  two  feet  will  nearly  always  be  necessary  to 
insure  success  in  bringing  down  canvas-backs,  and  sometimes  even 
as  much  as  ten  feet  is  not  too  far  in  advance,  if  the  wind  is 
blowing  fresh  and  the  ducks  travelling  before  it,  as  they  most  fre- 
quently do.     It  should  always  be  borne  in  mind  that  most  ducks 


302  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

fly  with  amazing  velocity ;  and  the  great  error  committed  by  all 
beginners,  and  even  by  experienced  shooters,  is  that  they  deliver 
their  shot  behind  the  bird.  The  range  of  the  sight  should  be 
rather  above  than  below  the  ducks,  to  prevent  the  pellets  from 
falling  too  low  before  reaching  their  proper  destination.  The 
various  points  on  the  narrows  of  Spesutia  Island  are  perhaps  the 
most  frequented  of  all  localities  in  the  upper  bay  for  duck-shooting ; 
and  it  is  seldom  that  the  sportsman  will  be  disappointed  in  visiting 
these  grounds,  as  the  ducks  are  passing  up  and  down  these  waters 
nearly  all  day,  but  more  particularly  in  the  morning  and  afternoon. 
Canvas-backs  commence  flying  very  early,  and  it  is  necessary  for 
the  sportsman  to  be  up  and  on  the  ground  betimes,  as  he  will  have 
an  opportunity  of  trying  his  skill  as  soon  as  it  shall  be  light 
enough  to  see  the  ducks  which  he  will  hear  moving  over  his  head  in 
uninterrupted  numbers  for  an  hour  before  daybreak.  The  morn- 
ing flights  continue  an  hour  or  two  after  dawn,  although,  as  before 
stated,  many  ducks  keep  in  motion  all  day  long ;  but  the  greater 
portion  of  them  are  busily  engaged  feeding  after  this  time,  and,  if 
flying,  endeavor  to  avoid  these  exposed  points,  where  they  have 
every  reason  to  apprehend  danger.  Canvas-backs,  in  fact,  are 
disposed  to  keep  clear  of  the  shores  at  all  times ;  but  when  impelled 
by  a  strong  breeze  that  sets  them  towards  these  points,  they  are 
not  easily  turned  from  their  course,  it  not  being  often  necessary  to 
employ  any  kind  of  device  to  screen  the  sportsman  from  observa- 
tion, provided  he  remain  motionless  until  the  ducks  have  come  suffi- 
ciently near  to  be  in  range  of  the  gun.  It  is  better  that  the  dress 
should  not  be  too  conspicuous:  a  drab  overcoat  and  cap  of  the 
same  color  is  the  most  suitable  for  concealment ;  and,  if  possible, 
station  yourself  against  a  bush,  tree,  or  some  dark  object,  if  there 
are  no  blinds  erected. 

When  the  canvas-backs  are  flying  fast  and  in  great  numbers,  an 
eager  sportsman  had  better  take  two  guns  with  him,  and  have  an 
assistant  to  load  while  he  fires ;  and  in  this  way  he  will  get  double 
the  number  of  shots,  without  the  hurry  and  excitement  of  charging 
fast. 


CANVAS-BACK.  303 

Captain  Hawker  very  justly  remarks: — "Never  look  up  while 
loading ;  you  can  do  no  good  by  it,  and  you  will  only  put  yourself 
in  a  flurry,  and  perhaps  break  your  ramrod.  If  your  man,  (assist- 
ant,) knowing  you  have  no  gun  loaded,  says,  *  Look  out,  sir  !'  why 
— I  had  almost  said — knock  him  down."  , 

TO   SHOOT  DUCKS   SITTING. 

Having  learned  the  art  of  shooting  flying,  the  tyro  may  feel 
disposed  to  treat  with  contempt  any  endeavor  on  our  part  to  teach 
him  so  simple  a  thing  as  to  shoot  wild  fowl  while  sitting  on  the 
water,  within,  we  will  say,  fifty  or  a  hundred  yards  of  our  ambush. 
Nevertheless,  we  can  assure  him  that  it  is  not  such  an  easy  matter 
as  he  supposes,  and  he  will  upon  trial  soon  find  to  his  satisfaction 
what  we  say  to  be  true ;  and,  without  paying  proper  regard  to  our 
instructions  on  this  point,  he  will  often  have  the  mortification  of 
seeing  the  ducks  escape  from  his  fire,  when  he  ought  by  due 
management  to  have  killed  at  least  a  dozen  or  more.  It  seems  to 
be  a  very  simple  thing  to  point  the  gun  in  a  direct  range  of  a  flock 
of  ducks,  and  cut  a  complete  lane,  as  it  were,  through  their  ranks 
with  a  heavy  charge  of  powder  and  shot ;  but  such,  unfortunately 
for  the  tyro,  is  not  the  case.  The  young  sportsman  generally 
commits  one  of  two  errors  in  shooting  wild  fowl ;  that  is,  he  either 
undershoots  or  overshoots  the  game,  according  to  the  distance  they 
are  from  him.  If  within  thirty,  forty,  or  fifty,  or  even  seventy 
yards,  the  shot  almost  invariably  passes  over  the  ducks ;  if  beyond 
this  distance,  the  load  most  frequently  falls  far  short  of  the  in- 
tended mark. 

When  the  shot  is  first  impelled  from  the  mouth  of  a  large  duck- 
gun  held  on  a  level,  it  has  an  upward  tendency  from  a  point-blank 
range,  which  it  preserves  for  an  indefinite  distance,  according  to 
the  quantity  of  powder  used  and  the  force  with  which  the  weapon 
shoots.  When  it  has  reached  a  certain  distance  it  begins  to  lose 
the  upward  impetus,  and,  therefore,  must  fall  sooner  or  later 
before  losing  entirely  its  projectile  force.  Any  one  can  easily 
ascertain  this  fact  by  trying  the  experiment  on  the  water,  if  not 


304  lewis's     AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

convinced  of  it  by  previous  observation.  This  being  the  case,  the 
force  of  our  assertion  will  be  readily  seen ;  that  is,  when  the  ducks 
are  but  a  short  distance  off,  the  load  will  most  likely  pass  over  the 
spot  within  the  point-blank  range  of  the  gun  and  be  distributed 
some  distance  beyond;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  ducks  being 
much  farther  oflf,  the  shot  will  most  likely  fall  short  of  their  in- 
tended destination,  or,  in  other  words,  drop  within  the  point-blank 
range  of  the  eye. 

When  the  ducks  are  a  short  distance  from  our  station,  the 
foremost  ones,  if  there  be  many,  should  be  in  full  relief  over  the 
sight  of  the  gun ;  and  then,  most  probably,  if  shooting  on  a  level, 
as  is  most  frequently  the  case  on  the  shores  where  wild  fowl  are 
pursued,  the  leader  of  the  troop  which  we  select  for  our  guide  will 
escape  from  the  dire  efiects  of  our  volley,  that  shall  spread  death 
and  destruction  in  his  rear. 

If,  on  the  contrary,  the  ducks  are  a  long  distance  off,  be  sure 
that  the  foremost  ducks  are  entirely  under  the  range  of  the  barrels, 
and  then  we  shall  most  likely  rake  the  front  and  middle  columns, 
if  not  sweep  the  whole  mass.  For  other  information  regarding 
shooting  ducks,  we  refer  to  our  chapter  on  wild-fowl  shooting  in 
general,  and  beg  to  close  the  present  subject,  as  some  one  has 
done  before  us,  with  the  spirited  lines  of  Wilson,  descriptive  of 
the  shooting  of  these  celebrated  birds. 


'  Slow  round  an  opening  point  we  softly  steal, 
Where  four  large  ducks  in  playful  circles  wlieel. 
The  far-famed  canvas-hacks  at  once  we  know, 
Their  broad,  flat  bodies  wrapped  in  pencilled  snow ; 
The  burnished  chestnut  o'er  their  necks  that  shone. 
Spread  deepening  round  each  breast  a  sable  zone. 
Wary  they  gaze  ;  our  boat  in  silence  glides ; 
The  slow-moved  paddles  steal  along  the  sides  ; 
Quick-flashing  thunders  roar  along  the  flood. 
And  three  lie  prostrate,  vomiting  their  blood ! 
TlhQ  fourth  aloft  on  whistling  pinions  soared; 
One  fatal  glance  the  fiery  thunders  poured ; 
Prone  drops  the  bird  amid  the  dashing  waves. 
And  the  clear  stream  his  glossy  plumage  laves." 


CANVAS-BACK.  305 


THE   PRESENT  AND  FUTURE  NUMBERS   OF  DUCKS   UPON   CHESA- 
PEAKE BAY. 

"  Still  files  of  ducks  in  streaming  thousands  pour ; 
At  every  bend  their  rising  torrents  roar." 

Notwithstanding  the  immense  multitude  of  canvas-backs  which 
annually  resort  to  the  waters  of  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  they  are 
now  said  to  be  far  less  numerous  than  they  were  some  years  ago. 
Of  this  fact  we  are  not  able  to  judge,  but  feel  satisfied  that  the 
species,  although  killed  in  numbers  still  greater  than  they  have 
been  heretofore,  can  never  become  extinct,  as  some  persons  appre- 
hend. The  greatest  safeguard  to  the  continuation  of  the  whole 
duck  race  is  the  circumstance  of  their  breeding  in  regions  so 
remote.  They  are  besides  so  prolific,  that  every  succeeding  au- 
tumn will  bring  down  to  their  former  haunts  a  wonderful  increase 
to  the  great  numbers  of  those  that  necessarily  escape  the  general 
massacre.  The  large  and  increasing  demand,  however,  for  ducks 
from  the  Chesapeake  in  particular,  and  the  ingenious  methods 
resorted  to  to  kill  them,  will  no  doubt  eventually  drive  the  larger 
portion  of  the  canvas-backs  from  their  favorite  feeding-grounds, 
and  thus  cause  them  to  become  more  widely  dispersed  over  the 
whole  country.  The  comparative  scarcity  of  them  on  these  waters 
will,  perhaps,  induce  the  erroneous  belief  of  their  speedy  extinction ; 
but  such  a  thing  we  deem  impossible,  owing,  as  already  stated,  to 
the  habits  of  the  whole  duck  tribe  during  the  period  of  incubation. 
During  the  season  of  1850  and  1851,  canvas-backs  were  very 
plenty,  and,  owing  to  the  unusual  mildness  of  the  weather  and 
the  consequent  increased  slaughter  of  them  from  the  surface-boats, 
they  were  sold  at  unprecedented  low  prices  in  our  markets. 

The  early  portion  of  the  season  of  1854  and  1855  was  equally 
prolific  of  the  feathered  race,  insomuch  that  greater  slaughter  of 
wild  fowl  was  made  on  the  flats  of  the  Chesapeake  and  its  numerous 
tributaries  than  in  any  previous  year.  No  less  than  three  thou- 
sand head  of  various  kinds  of  ducks  were  killed  in  the  vicinity  of 

Havre  de  Grace  alone  on  the  first  day  which  the  duckers  in  a  body 

20 


306 


LEWIS   S     AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 


agreed  to  make  use  of  their  batteries.  The  temperature  during 
the  months  of  October  and  November  of  the  following  season  of 
1855  and  1856  being  uncommonly  moderate,  but  few  canvas-backs, 
comparatively  speaking,  made  their  appearance  on  the  Chesapeake 
before  December.  The  weather  soon  after  becoming  intensely  cold, 
and  continuing  so  for  several  weeks,  the  destruction  of  ducks  on 
those  far-famed  feeding-grounds  was  necessarily  quite  limited  in 
comparison  with  the  preceding  years,  and  all  descriptions  of  wild 
fowl  sold  in  our  markets  at  very  high  prices. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

DIFFERENT   VARIETIES   OF   DUCKS. 
RED-HEADED   DUCK,    OR   RED-HEAD.      ANAS   FERINA. 

*'  Beyond  a  point,  just  opening  to  the  view, 
A  fleet  of  ducks  collect  their  scattered  crew ; 
Part,  soon  alarmed,  with  sudden  splattering,  soar, 
The  rest,  remaining,  seek  the  farther  shore." 


HE  red-head,  second  alone  in  delicacy  of 

flavor  to  the  canvas-back,  will  now  claim 

our  attention.     It  frequents  very  much 

the   same   grounds  with  the  preceding 

variety,    although    not    so    exclusively 

wedded  to  the  waters  of  the  Chesapeake 

but    that    it    can    be    found    in    other 

localities  in  considerable  profusion,  even 

during  the  luxuriance  of  the  valisineria.     The  red-head,  like  the 

poachard,  or  bald-pate,  feeds  on  the  blades  of  the  water-celery, 

307 


808  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

when  it  cannot  filch  the  tender  roots  from  the  canvas-backs.  It 
is  often  shot  in  the  Delaware,  Hudson,  and  other  rivers,  and  visits 
the  streams  of  the  South  as  the  winter  progresses.  The  flesh  of 
these  fowls  is  so  near  akin  to  that  of  the  canvas-backs,  that  the 
most  delicate  palate  can  hardly  distinguish  one  from  the  other ;  and 
we  have  seen  many  amusing  mistakes  made  by  persons  professing 
to  be  able  to  tell  one  duck  from  the  other  when  served  for  the 
table. 

"The  red-head  is  twenty  inches  in  length  and  two  feet  six 
inches  in  extent ;  bill  dark  slate,  sometimes  black,  two  inches 
long,  and  seven-eighths  of  an  inch  thick  at  the  base,  furnished 
with  a  large  broad  nail  at  the  extremity;  irides  flame-colored; 
plumage  of  the  head  long,  velvety  and  inflated,  running  high 
above  the  base  of  the  bill ;  head,  and  about  two  inches  of  the 
neck,  deep  glossy  reddish-chestnut ;  rest  of  the  neck  and  upper 
part  of  the  breast  black,  spreading  round  to  the  back ;  belly  white, 
becoming  dusky  towards  the  vent  by  closely-marked  undulating 
lines  of  black ;  back  and  scapulars  bluish-white,  rendered  gray  by 
numerous  transverse  waving  lines  of  black ;  lesser  wing-coverts 
brownish-ash ;  wing-quills  very  pale  slate,  dusky  at  the  tips  ;  lower 
part  of  the  back  and  sides  under  the  wings  brownish-black,  crossed 
with  regular  zigzag  lines  of  whitish ;  vent,  rump,  and  tail-coverts, 
black ;  legs  and  feet  dark  ash."  The  female  has  the  upper  part 
of  the  head  dusky  brown,  and  the  plumage  generally  is  not  so 
bright  as  that  of  the  male. 

The  red-head  weighs  from  a  pound  and  a  half  to  two  pounds. 

This  duck  resembles  very  closely  the  poachard,  red-headed 
widgeon,  or  dun-bird,  of  England,  and  is  considered  by  many  as 
the  same  identical  bird.  The  description  of  the  one  corresponds 
very  much  with  that  of  the  other,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  following, 
taken  from  Daniel.  "  The  poachard  is  about  the  size  of  a  widgeon, 
weighs  one  pound  twelve  ounces ;  its  length  is  nineteen  inches ; 
breadth  two  feet  and  a  half;  the  bill  is  broader  than  the  widgeon's, 
of  a  deep  lead-color,  with  a  black  tip ;  irides  orange ;  the  head 
and  neck  deep  chestnut ;  the  lower  part  of  the  neck  and  breast, 


RED-HEADED    DUCK,    OR    RED-HEAD.  309 

and  upper  part  of  the  back,  dusky  black ;  scapulars  and  wing- 
coverts  nearest  the  body  of  a  grayish  white,  elegantly  marked 
with  narrow  lines  of  black ;  the  exterior  wing-coverts  and  quills 
dusky  brown ;  the  belly  ash-colored  and  brown ;  the  tail  consists 
of  twelve  short  feathers  of  a  deep  gray;  the  legs  lead-colored. 
The  female  has  the  head  of  a  pale  reddish-brown,"  &c. 

From  the  above  description,  and  the  investigations  of  naturalists, 
we  are  led  to  suppose  that  these  two  birds  are  identical ;  and  there- 
fore it  will  not  perhaps  be  deemed  irrelevant  to  the  subject  to  in- 
troduce a  short  history  of  the  plan  pursued  in  England  for  the 
capture  of  this  fowl  upon  an  extensive  scale : — 

"These  birds  (poachards)  are  eagerly  sought  by  the  London 
poulterers,  under  the  name  of  dun-birds,  as  they  are  deemed  ex- 
cellent eating.  The  greater  part  of  what  appear  in  the  markets  are 
caught  in  decoys;  but  the  construction  and  mode  of  working  is 
perfectly  distinct  from  that  wherein  the  other  wild  fowl  are  taken. 
A  decoy  for  dun-birds  is  called  a  flight-pond,  and  has  nets  fastened 
to  tall  stout  poles  twenty-eight  or  thirty  feet  long ;  at  the  bottom 
of  each  pole  is  a  box  fixed,  filled  with  heavy  stones,  sufficient  to 
elevate  the  poles  and  nets  the  instant  an  iron  pin  is  withdrawn, 
which  retains  the  nets  and  poles  flat  upon  the  reeds,  small  willow 
boughs,  or  furze ;  within  the  nets  are  small  pens  made  of  reeds, 
about  three  feet  high,  for  the  reception  of  the  birds  that  strike 
against  the  net  and  fall  down ;  and  such  is  the  form  and  shortness 
of  wing  in  the  poachard,  that  they  cannot  ascend  again  from  their 
little  enclosures  if  they  would;  besides,  the  numbers  which  are 
usually  knocked  into  these  pens  preclude  all  chance  of  escape 
from  them  by  the  wing.  A  decoy-man  will  sometimes  allow  the 
haunt  of  dun-birds  to  be  so  great  that  the  whole  surface  of  the 
pond  shall  be  covered  with  them  previous  to  his  attempting  to  take 
one.  Upon  such  occasions,  he  bespeaks  all  the  assistants  he  can 
get,  to  complete  the  slaughter  by  breaking  their  necks.  When  all 
is  ready,  the  dun-birds  are  roused  from  the  pond ;  and,  as  all  wild 
fowl  rise  against  the  wind,  the  poles  in  that  quarter  are  unpinned, 
and  fly  up  with  the  nets  at  the  instant  the  dun-birds  begin  to  leave 


310 


LEWIS  S    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN, 


the  surface  of  the  water,  so  as  to  meet  them  in  their  first  ascent, 
and  are  thus  beat  down  by  hundreds.  At  the  pond  of  Mr.  Burton, 
at  Goldanger,  in  Essex,  as  many  poachards  have  been  taken  at  one 
drop  as  filled  a  wagon,  so  as  to  require  four  stout  horses  to  carry 
them  away ;  and  the  lower  birds  in  the  pens  have  been  known  to 
be  killed  and  pressed  entirely  flat  from  the  numbers  of  their  com- 
panions heaped  above  them  by  the  fatal  stoppage  of  the  poles  and 
nets." 


ANAS   AMERICANA. 


3^^^  HIS  fowl,  like  the  red-head,  during  its 
sojourn  on  the  Chesapeake  and  Potomac, 
is  the  constant  companion  of  the  canvas- 
back,  upon  whose  superior  skill  in  diving 
it  depends  for  a  supply  of  the  tender  root 
of  the  valisineria,  which  it  filches  from 
these  ducks  as  soon  as  they  come  to  the 
top  of  the  water  with  it  in  their  mouths. 
The  bald-pates,  as  these  ducks  are  most  commonly  called  on  the 
Chesapeake,  are  not  far  inferior  in  flavor  to  the  canvas-back,  and 
when  in  good  order  it  is  not  easy  to  distinguish  them  from  the 
above  duck.  Those  killed  on  other  streams,  though  excellent 
eating,  will  not  compare  with  those  that  feed  on  the  flats  of  the 
Chesapeake.  Widgeons  are  extensively  scattered  throughout  the 
whole  of  our  Atlantic  States,  and  are  abundant  in  some  of  the 

West  India  islands ;  they  are  well  known  in  the  Delaware  Bay. 

311 


312  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


DESCRIPTION. 

"The  widgeon,  or  bald-pate,  measures  twenty-two  inches  in 
length  and  thirty  inches  in  extent ;  the  bill  is  of  a  slate-color ;  the 
nail  black;  the  front  and  crown  cream-colored,  sometimes  nearly 
white,  the  feathers  inflated ;  from  the  eye  backwards  to  the  middle 
of  the  neck  behind  extends  a  band  of  deep,  glossy  green,  gold,  and 
purple;  throat,  chin,  and  sides  of  the  neck  before,  as  far  as  the 
green  extends,  dull  yellowish-white,  thickly  speckled  with  black; 
breast  and  hind-part  of  the  neck  hoary  bay,  running  in  under  the 
wings,  where  it  is  crossed  with  fine  waving  lines  of  black ;  whole 
belly  white;  vent  black;  back  and  scapulars  black,  thickly  and 
beautifully  crossed  with  undulating  lines  of  vinous  bay ;  lower  part 
of  the  back  more  dusky ;  tail-coverts  long,  pointed,  whitish,  crossed 
as  the  back ;  tail  pointed,  brownish  ash ;  the  two  middle  feathers 
an  inch  longer  than  the  rest,  and  tapering ;  shoulder  of  the  wing 
brownish  ash ;  wing-coverts,  immediately  below,  white,  forming  a 
large  spot ;  primaries  brownish  ash ;  middle  secondaries  black, 
glossed  with  green,  forming  the  speculum;  tertials  black,  edged 
with  white,  between  which  and  the  beauty-spot  several  of  the 
secondaries  are  white. 

"The  female  has  the  whole  head  and  neck  yellowish-white, 
thickly  speckled  with  black,  very  little  rufous  on  the  breast ;  the 
back  is  dark  brown.  The  young  males,  as  usual,  very  much  like 
the  females  during  the  first  season,  and  do  not  receive  their  full 
plumage  until  the  second  year.  They  are  also  subject  to  a  regular 
change  every  spring  and  autumn." 

This  fowl,  it  will  be  seen,  resembles  the  English  widgeon, 
whewer,  or  whim,  both  in  appearance  and  habits.  The  American 
variety  is,  perhaps,  a  little  heavier,  and  the  plumage  richer. 
Widgeons  do  not  feed  much  during  the  day,  but  remain  listlessly 
on  the  sand-flats  or  hidden  among  the  herbage  of  the  marshes ;  but 
as  soon  as  night  comes  they  are  in  motion,  and  may  be  heard  repair- 
ing in  considerable  numbers  to  the  various  feeding-grounds  which 
they  are  wont  to  frequent.     These  fowl  are  very  abundant  on  the 


AMERICAN    WIDGEON,     OR    BALD-PATE.  313 

coasts  of  Great  Britain,  and  the  numbers  slaughtered  in  the  course 
of  a  season  by  the  sportsmen  and  fowlers  are  enormous.  They  are 
much  esteemed  in  London,  and  eagerly  sought  after  by  the  poul- 
terers as  a  ready  article  of  sale.  They  are  pursued  by  the  English 
punters  almost  entirely  by  night ;  they  lie  in  wait  for  them  in  those 
situations  which  they  are  most  likely  to  visit  or  pass  over  in  their 
course  to  the  feeding-grounds.  The  best  weather  for  this  sport  is 
a  clear,  windy,  half  moonlight  night,  provided  the  wind  does  not 
blow  from  you,  as  the  ducks  may  smell  you :  in  fact,  it  is  always 
necessary  to  get  to  the  leeward  of  wild  fowl  of  all  kinds,  as  their 
power  of  scenting  is  very  great.  The  English  variety  is  easily 
"  domesticated  in  places  where  there  is  plenty  of  water,  and  are 
much  admired  for  their  beauty,  sprightly  look,  and  frolicsome 
manners."     The  same  is  said  of  the  American  widgeon. 

Bald-pates  can  be  decoyed  within  gunshot  by  imitating  their 
peculiar  shrill  note ;  are  not  apt  to  dart  at  decoys  off  points,  ex- 
cept in  foggy  weather.  They  are  migratory,- and  breed  in  the 
North,  on  the  coast  of  Hudson's  Bay;  they  visit  the  ricefields  of 
the  South  during  the  winter  in  considerable  numbers,  and  are  much 
esteemed  by  the  planters  as  an  article  of  food. 

For  further  information  on  the  subject  of  widgeon,  we  beg  to 
refer  the  reader  to  Colonel  Hawker,  the  Magnus  Apollo  of  wild- 
fowl shooting,  as  he  has  very  justly  been  styled. 


r\\^Vj^^.r"%fe^ 


ANAS   BOSCHAS.      MALLARD,    OR   WILD   DRAKE. 


ALLARDS  are  widely  disseminated  over 
almost  every  habitable  portion  of  the  globe, 
and  their  flesh  is  alike  esteemed  in  all 
parts ;  and  wherever  they  make  their  ap- 
pearance, sportsmen  resort  to  all  kinds  of 
expedients  to  secure  them.  At  a  glance, 
it  will  be  seen  that  the  wild  drake  is  the 
original  stock  from  which  is  sprung  the 
puddle-duck  of  our  barnyards,  as  they  differ  but  little  in  plumage 
and  general  form.  The  wild  bird,  however,  is  a  much  more  noble- 
looking  fowl  than  those  of  the  same  race  that  have  been  enslaved 
by  man;  and  instead  of  the  silly,  discordant  quack!  quack! 
quack!  lazy  waddle,  inactive  life,  and  singular  propensity  for 
dabbling  in  the  filthy  oozes  of  the  stable-yard,  common  to  our  do- 
mestic duck,  they  pursue  a  cunning,  silent,  active,  and  free  life. 
814 


OR    WILD    DRAKE.  315 


DESCRIPTION. 


"  The  mallard,  or  common  wild  drake,  is  so  universally  known  as 
scarcely  to  require  a  description.  It  measures  twenty-four  inches 
in  length  by  three  feet  in  extent,  and  weighs  upwards  of  two 
pounds  and  a  half;  the  bill  is  greenish  yellow;  irides  hazel;  head, 
and  part  of  the  neck,  deep,  glossy,  changeable  green,  ending  in  a 
narrow  collar  of  white;  the  rest  of  the  neck  and  breast  are  of  a 
dark  purplish  chestnut;  lesser  wing-coverts  brown-ash;  greater 
crossed  near  the  extremities  with  a  band  of  white,  and  tipped  with 
another  of  deep  velvety  black ;  below  this  lies  the  speculum  or 
beauty-spot,  of  a  rich  and  splendid  light  purple,  with  green  and 
violet  reflections,  bounded  on  every  side  with  black;  quills  pale 
brownish-ash ;  back  brown,  skirted  with  paler ;  scapulars  whitish, 
crossed  with  fine  undulating  lines  of  black ;  rump  and  tail-coverts 
black,  glossed  with  green ;  tertials  very  broad,  and  pointed  at  the 
ends;  tail,  consisting  of  eighteen  feathers,  whitish,  centred  with 
brown-ash,  the  four  middle  ones  excepted,  which  are  narrow,  black, 
glossed  with  violet,  remarkably  concave,  and  curled  upwards  to  a 
complete  circle ;  belly  and  sides  a  fine  gray,  crossed  by  an  infinite 
number  of  fine,  waving  lines,  stronger  and  more  deeply  marked  as 
they  approach  the  vent ;  legs  and  feet  orange-red. 

"  The  female  has  the  plumage  of  the  upper  parts  dark  brown, 
broadly  bordered  with  brownish  yellow,  and  the  lower  parts  yel- 
low ochre,  spotted  and  streaked  with  deep  brown ;  the  chin  and 
throat,  for  about  two  inches,  plain  yellowish- white ;  wings,  bill, 
and  legs,  nearly  as  in  the  male. 

"  The  windpipe  of  the  male  has  a  bony  labyrinth,  or  bladder-like 
knob,  pufiing  out  from  the  left  side.  The  intestines  measure  six 
feet,  and  are  as  wide  as  those  of  the  canvas-back.  The  windpipe 
is  of  uniform  diameter  until  it  enters  the  labyrinth." 

Like  most  wild  fowl,  the  mallard  breeds  in  the  Far  North, 
and  makes  its  appearance  in  the  autumn  among  the  first  of  our 
ducks.  It  is  common  throughout  all  our  rivers  and  fresh-water 
lakes,  but  is  seldom  met  with  on  the  sea-coast.     As  the  winter 


^16  lewis's     AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

progresses,  large  numbers  continue  South,  and  take  up  their  abode 
among  the  ricefields  of  the  Carolinas,  where  they  become  very  fat 
and  particularly  palatable.  Their  flesh,  at  all  times  when  the  wea- 
ther is  not  very  severe,  is  good,  as  they  feed  on  vegetable  matter 
in  preference  to  any  other  kind  of  food,  and  only  partake  of  fish 
when  they  cannot  obtain  any  thing  else. 

Mallards  are  easily  brought  within  gunshot  by  means  of  decoys, 
used  in  the  way  already  described  under  the  head  of  canvas-backs. 
They  are  numerous  at  timea  on  the  Delaware,  and  numbers  are 
killed  by  shooters  hiding  themselves  in  boats  and  the  reeds  within 
range  of  their  stool-dueJcs,  which  are  set  out  on  the  edge  of  the 
reeds.  They  are  very  fond  of  the  seeds  of  the  wild  oats  that 
flourish  so  profusely  on  the  flats  of  the  Delaware,  and  their  flesh 
soon  becomes  delicate  and  juicy. 

In  England  and  on  the  Continent  many  singular  contrivances 
have  been  invented  to  entrap  these  birds ;  and  so  successful  are  the 
fowlers  now  in  this  lucrative  business  that  many  hundreds  are 
often  taken  at  one  draw  of  the  net. 

The  most  destructive  way  of  trapping  mallards  is  the  plan 
adopted  on  the  decoy-ponds  of  England  and  France,  a  full  account 
of  which  may  be  found  in  Bewick's  British  Birds. 


ANAS   DISCORS.      BLUE-WINGED   TEAL. 


LUE-WINGED    TEAL   are   among   the 

first   of    the   water-fowl   that  visit   the 

shores  of  the  Delaware  and  Chesapeake 

from  the  far  regions  of  the  North.  They 

arrive    among    us    in    September,    and 

remain   feeding   along   the    fresh-water 

shores  and  mud-flats  until  driven  farther 

south   by  the   chilling   frosts   of  these 

regions,  as  they  are  a  very  tender  bird, 

and  spend  the  most  of  their  time  in  parts  where  the  weather  is 

mild.     This  little  duck  appears  to  be  much  less  cunning  than  most 

other  varieties  of  wild  fowl,  as  it  is  not  difficult  to  approach  in  a 

boat  or  under  cover  of  any  simple  device. 

The  shooters  on  the  Delaware  kill  great  numbers  from  the  reeds, 

over  stool-ducks  set  out  on  the  mud ;  they  stool  without  difficulty, 

and  drop  down  among  the  decoys  and  go  to  eating  as  if  they  were 

surrounded  by  busy  companions  like  themselves. 

They  stool  better  if  the  decoys  are  set  in  the  mud  than  if  in 

the  water,  and  in  this  respect  differ  from  every  other  duck. 

317 


818  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

They  are  fond  of  the  seeds  of  the  wild  oats,  and  become  very 
fat  after  feeding  on  them  for  a  short  time.  In  the  South  they 
also  become  very  fat,  and  are  considered  most  excellent  eating ; 
great  numbers  are  shot  as  well  as  caught  on  the  ricefields  in  traps 
set  by  the  negroes. 

The  markets  of  Philadelphia  abound  with  these  ducks,  which  are 
sold  for  a  mere  trifle.  They  are  considered  best  by  epicures  when 
split  open  and  broiled,  with  a  dressing  of  butter:  we  prefer  them 
in  this  way  to  all  other  modes  of  cooking. 

Blue-winged  teal  fly  with  great  rapidity  and  considerable  noise ; 
they  drop  down  suddenly  among  the  reeds,  much  like  a  wood- 
cock. 

DESCRIPTION. 

"This  species  measures  about  fourteen  inches  in  length  and 
twenty-two  inches  in  extent;  the  bill  is  long  in  proportion,  and 
of  a  dark,  dusky  slate ;  the  front  and  upper  part  of  the  head  are 
black ;  from  the  eye  to  the  chin  is  a  large  crescent  of  white ;  the 
rest  of  the  head  and  half  the  neck  are  of  a  dark  slate,  richly 
glossed  with  green  and  violet ;  remainder  of  the  neck  and  breast 
is  black  or  dusky,  thickly  marked  with  semicircles  of  brownish 
white,  elegantly  intersected  with  each  other;  belly  pale  brown, 
barred  with  dusky  in  narrow  lines ;  sides  and  vent  the  same  tint, 
spotted  with  oval  marks  of  dusky ;  flanks  elegantly  waved  with 
large  semicircles  of  pale  brown;  sides  of  the  vent  pure  white,  un- 
der the  tail-coverts  black ;  back  deep  brownish-black,  each  feather 
waved  with  large  semi-ovals  of  brownish  white ;  lesser  wing-covert 
a  bright  light-blue;  primaries  dusky  brown;  secondaries  black; 
speculum,  or  beauty-spot,  rich  green ;  tertials  edged  with  black  or 
light-blue,  and  streaked  down  their  middle  with  white;  the  tail, 
which  is  pointed,  extends  two  inches  beyond  the  wings ;  legs  and 
feet  yellow,  the  latter  very  small ;  the  two  crescents  of  white  before 
the  eyes  meet  on  the  throat. 

"  The  female  differs  in  having  the  head  and  neck  of  a  dull  dusky 
slate,  instead  of  the  rich  violet  of  the  male ;  the  hind-head  is  also 


GREEN-WINGED    TEAL. 


319 


whitish ;  the  wavings  on  the  back  and  lower  parts  more  indistinct ; 
wing  nearly  the  same  in  both." 

ANAS    CRECCA.      GREEN-WINGED   TEAL. 

This  variety  is  a  little  larger  than  the  preceding,  and  resembles 
more  closely  the  English  teal — is,  in  fact,  considered  by  naturalists 
as  the  same  duck.  Its  habits  and  disposition  are  similar  to  those 
of  the  blue-winged,  and  its  flesh  of  like  quality. 


ANAS  ALBEOLA.   BUFFEL-HEADED  DUCK,  OR  BUTTER-BALL. 


HIS  little  duck  is  more  commonly  known 
as  the  butter-box,  or  butter-ball,  from  the 
circumstance  of  its  fat,  plump  little  body. 
It  is  one  of  the  very  first  ducks  that  comes 
from  the  North.  Its  flesh  is  rather  fishy 
at  times ;  but  we  have  shot  them  on  the 
Chesapeake  and  Delaware  of  very  good 
flavor.  It  breeds  in  the  North,  flies  with 
great  velocity,  and  dives  with  considerable 
facility ;  and,  when  on  the  wing,  utters  a 
quick,  guttural  note — quack  !  quack !  quack ! 


DESCRIPTION. 

"  The  buffel-headed  duck,  or  rather,  as  it  has  originally  been, 

the  bufialo-headed  duck,  from  the  disproportionate  size  of  its  head, 

is  fourteen  inches  long  and  twenty-three  inches  in  extent ;  the  bill 

is  short,  and  of  a  light  blue  or  leaden  color ;  the  plumage  of  the 

head  and  half  of  the  neck  is  thick,  long,  and  velvety,  projecting 
320 


BUFFEL-HEADED    DUCK,  OR    BUTTER-BALL.  321 

greatly  over  the  lower  part  of  the  neck  ;  this  plumage  on  the  fore- 
head and  nape  is  rich  glossy  green,  changing  into  a  shining  purple 
on  the  crown  and  sides  of  the  neck ;  from  the  eyes  backward  passes 
a  broad  band  of  pure  white ;  iris  of  the  eye  dark ;  back,  wings, 
and  part  of  the  scapulars,  black ;  rest  of  the  scapulars,  lateral  band 
along  the  wing,  and  whole  breast,  snowy  white ;  belly,  vent,  and 
tail-coverts,  dusky  white ;  tail  pointed,  and  of  a  hoary  color. 

"  The  female  is  considerably  less  than  the  male,  and  entirely 
destitute  of  the  tumid  plumage  of  the  head :  the  head,  neck,  and 
upper  parts  of  the  body  and  wings  are  sooty  black,  darkest  on  the 
crown ;  sides  of  the  head  marked  with  a  small  oblong  spot  of 
white ;  bill  dusky  ;  lower  part  of  the  neck  ash,  tipped  with  white ; 
belly  dull  white ;  vent  cinereous ;  outer  edges  of  six  of  the  secon- 
daries and  their  incumbent  coverts  white,  except  the  tips  of  the 
latter,  which  are  black ;  legs  and  feet  a  livid  blue ;  tail  hoary 
brown." 


21 


ANAS  OBSCURA.   DUSKY  DUCK,  OR  BLACK  DUCK. 


USKY  or  black  ducks  are  known  to  all 
our  sea-shore  shooters,  and  innumerable 
quantities  are  brought  to  the  Philadelphia 
markets.  They  meet  with  ready  sale, 
although  their  flesh  is  far  inferior  to  that  of 
many  other  varieties  of  wild  fowl.  They 
are  better  known  as  the  black  duck,  and  are 
shot  on  the  salt  marshes  of  the  Delaware. 
They  are  very  wary,  and  will  not  stool. 
They  feed  on  the  small  bivalves  that  are  so  abundant  in  these 
waters,  as  also  along  the  shores  of  the  creeks  and  inlets  of  the  Mid- 
dle States.  Black  ducks  swim  and  fly  with  great  velocity :  their 
notes  resemble  those  of  the  mallard,  but  their  flesh  is  much  inferior. 
As  before  stated,  wild  fowl  rise  almost  universally  against  the 
wind;  black  ducks,  however,  are  an  exception  to  this  general  rule, 
as  they  spring  indifferently  either  with  or  against  the  wind. 

Numbers  of  black  ducks  are  killed  by  the  gunners  lying  in  wait 
for  them  in  the  route  of  their  return  from  .the  sea  to  the  marshes 

to  feed  after  night.     This  kind  of  shooting  is  termed  ^^  dusking,'* 
322 


DUSKY    DUCK,  OR    BLACK-DUCK.  323 

and  of  course  can  only  be  practised  with  much  success  on  a  moon- 
light night. 

When  the  weather  is  not  severe  and  the  ducks  are  plenty, 
^^  dusking"  is  an  agreeable  pastime.  Black  ducks  are  very  wary 
and  sagacious;  and  it  is  necessary  to  hold  the  most  profound 
silence  when  dusking,  as  they  change  their  course  or  tower  high 
at  the  slightest  noise. 

DESCRIPTION. 

"  The  dusky  or  black  duck  is  two  feet  in  length  and  three  feet 
two  inches  in  extent;  the  bill  is  of  a  dark  greenish-ash,  formed 
very  much  like  the  mallard,  and  nearly  of  the  same  length ;  irides 
dark;  upper  part  of  the  head  deep  dusky-brown,  intermixed  on 
the  forepart  with  some  small  streaks  of  drab ;  rest  of  the  head  and 
greater  part  of  the  neck  pale  yellow-ochre,  thickly  marked  with 
small  streaks  of  blackish  brown ;  lower  part  of  the  neck  and  whole 
lower  parts  deep  dusky,  each  feather  edged  with  brownish  white 
and  with  fine  seams  of  rusty  white;  upper  parts  the  same,  but 
rather  deeper;  the  outer  vanes  of  nine  of  the  secondaries  bright 
violet-blue,  forming  the  beauty-spot,  which  is  bounded  on  all  sides 
by  black ;  wings  and  tail  sooty  brown ;  tail-feathers  sharp-pointed ; 
legs  and  feet  dusky  yellow;  lining  of  the  wings  pure  white. 

"The  female  has  more  brown  on  her  plumage,  but  in  other 
respects  differs  little  from  the  male,  both  having  the  beauty-spot 
on  the  wing. 


^^rt^M^c 


ANAS   ACUTA.      PINTAIL   DUCK,    OR   SPRIGTAIL. 


HIS   handsome-looking  duck  is  known  to 
^^^Ip^^  our  shooters  indifferently  as  the  pintail  or 

!p      ^-  sprigtail.     The  latter  appellation  is  per- 

haps the  most  common.  They  frequent 
the  fresh-water  streams  of  almost  every 
section  of  our  country,  both  inland  and  on 
the  seaboard.  They  are  not  very  partial  to 
salt  water.  Sprigtails  are  shy  and  vigi- 
lant; when  aroused,  they  fly  confusedly  together,  so  that  the 
shooter  has  always  a  fine  opportunity  to  rake  the  flock  when  on 
the  wing.  They  remain  with  us  all  winter  and  breed  in  the  North ; 
their  flesh  is  sweet  and  often  delicious. 


DESCRIPTION. 

"  The  pintail  duck  is  twenty-six  inches  in  length  and  two  feet 

ten  inches  in  extent ;  the  bill  is  a  dusky  lead-color ;   irides  dark 

hazel ;  head  and  half  of  the  neck  pale  brown,  each  side  of  the 

neck  marked  with  a  band  of  purple-violet,  bordering  the  white ; 

324 


PINTAL-DUCK,  OR    SPRINGTAIL.  325 

hind-part  of  the  upper  half  of  the  neck  black,  bordered  on  each 
side  by  a  stripe  of  white,  which  spreads  over  the  lower  part  of  the 
neck  before ;  sides  of  the  breast  and  upper  part  of  the  back  white, 
thickly  and  elegantly  marked  with  transverse,  undulating  lines  of 
black,  here  and  there  tinged  with  pale  buff;  throat  and  middle  of 
the  belly  whitfe,  tinged  with  cream ;  flanks  finely  pencilled  with 
waving  lines ;  vent  white ;  under  tail-coverts  black ;  lesser  wing- 
coverts  brown-ash ;  greater  the  same,  tipped  with  orange ;  below 
which  is  the  speculum,  or  beauty-spot,  of  rich  golden  green,  bor- 
dered below  with  a  band  of  black  and  another  of  white ;  primaries 
dusky  brown;  tertials  long,  black,  edged  with  white  and  tinged 
with  rust ;  rump  and  tail-coverts  pale  ash,  centred  with  dark  brown  ; 
tail  greatly  pointed,  the  two  middle  tapering  feathers  being  full 
five  inches  longer  than  the  others,  and  black ;  the  rest  brown-ash, 
edged  with  white  ;  legs  a  pale  lead-color. 

"  The  female  has  the  crown  of  a  dark  brown  color ;  neck  of  a 
dull  brownish-white,  thickly  speckled  with  dark  brown  ;  breast  and 
belly  pale  brownish- white,  interspersed  with  white ;  back  and  root 
of  the  neck  above  black,  each  feather  elegantly  waved  with  broad 
lines  of  brownish  white — these  wavings  become  rufous  on  the  scapu- 
lars ;  vent  white,  spotted  with  dark  brown ;  tail  dark  brown, 
spotted  with  white ;  the  two  middle  tail-feathers  half  an  inch  longer 
than  the  others. 

"The  sprigtail  is  an  elegantly-formed,  long-bodied  duck,  the 
neck  longer  and  more  slender  than  most  others." 


ANAS   SPONSA.      SUMMER-DUCK,    OR   WOOD-DUCK. 

UMMER-DUCKS  are  remarkable  for 
the  richness  and  varied  hue  of  their 
plumage,  and  are  considered  the  most 
beautiful  of  all  the  duck  tribe.  It  is 
^v  spread  throughout  the  whole  extent  of 
our  country,  breeding  in  almost  every 
State  of  the  Union,  and  familiarly  known 
to  country-people  as  the  wood-duck,  from 
the  circumstance  of  its  selecting  the  hollows  of  trees  to  breed  in. 
This  fowl  delights  in  the  small  streams  and  mill-ponds  of  the  in- 
terior, and  is  but  seldom  met  with  on  the  large  rivers.  They  are 
not  often  met  with  in  flocks,  but  are  generally  found  in  small 
families  of  two  or  three.  The  followers  of  Sir  Isaac  Walton  are 
generally  much  more  familiar  with  this  fowl  than  the  professed 
sportsman,  as  they,  in  the  pursuit  of  their  favorite  amusement, 
spend  much  of  their  time  in  the  quiet  and  secluded  haunts  which 
326 


SUMMER-DUCK,    OR    WOOD-DUCK.  327 

these  birds  affect.  Their  food  consists  of  seeds  and  insects,  and 
their  flesh  at  times  is  excellent.  They  are  easily  tamed  when 
taken  young,  and  soon  become  completely  domesticated. 

DESCRIPTION. 

"The  wood-duck  is  nineteen  inches  in  length  and  two  feet  four 
mches  in  extent ;  bill  red,  margined  with  black ;  a  spot  of  black 
lies  between  the  nostrils,  reaching  nearly  to  the  tip,  which  is  also 
of  the  same  color,  and  furnished  with  a  large  hooked  nail;  irides 
orange-red;  front,  crown,  and  pendent  crest  rich  glossy  bronze- 
green,  ending  in  violet,  elegantly  marked  with  a  line  of  pure  white 
running  from  the  upper  mandible  over  the  eye,  and  with  another 
band  of  white  proceeding  from  behind  the  eye,  both  mingling 
their  long  pendent  plumes  with  the  green  and  violet  ones,  pro- 
ducing a  rich  effect ;  cheeks  and  sides  of  the  upper  neck  violet ; 
chin,  throat,  and  collar  round  the  neck  pure  white,  curving  up  in 
the  form  of  a  crescent  nearly  to  the  posterior  part  of  the  eye; 
the  white  collar  is  bounded  below  with  black ;  breast  dark  violet- 
brown,  marked  on  the  forepart  with  minute  triangular  spots  of 
white,  increasing  in  size  until  they  spread  into  the  white  of  the 
belly;  each  side  of  the  breast  is  bounded  by  a  large  cres- 
cent of  white,  and  that  again  by  a  broader  one  of  deep  black; 
sides  under  the  wings  thickly  and  beautifully  marked  with  fine 
undulating  parallel  lines  of  black,  on  a  ground  of  yellowish  drab ; 
the  flanks  are  ornamented  with  broad,  alternate,  semicircular  bands 
of  black  and  white ;  sides  of  the  vent  rich  light- violet ;  tail-coverts 
long,  of  a  hair-like  texture  at  the  sides,  over  which  they  descend, 
and  of  a  deep  black,  glossed  with  green ;  back  dusky  bronze, 
reflecting  green ;  scapulars  black ;  tail  tapering,  dark  glossy  green 
above,  below  dusky ;  primaries  dusky,  silvery  hoary  without, 
tipped  with  violet-blue ;  secondaries  greenish  blue,  tipped  with 
white ;  wing-coverts  violet-blue,  tipped  with  black ;  vent  dusky ; 
legs  and  feet  yellowish  red ;  claws  strong  and  hooked. 

"The  female  has  the  head  slightly  crested;  crown,  dark  purple; 


328  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

behind  the  eye  a  bar  of  white ;  chin  and  throat,  for  two  inches, 
also  white ;  head  and  neck  dark  drab ;  breast,  dusky  brown, 
marked  with  large  triangular  spots  of  white;  back  dark  glossy 
bronze-brown,  with  some  gold  and  greenish  reflections ;  speculum 
of  the  wings  nearly  the  same  as  in  the  male,  but  the  fine  pencil- 
ling of  the  sides  and  the  long  hair-like  tail-coverts  are  wanting ; 
the  tail  is  also  shorter." 


ANAS   CANADENSIS.      CANADA   GOOSE. 


spring. 


'  Hawnk  !  honk !  and  for'ard  to  the  nor'ard  is  the  trumpet-tone  ! 
What  goose  can  lag,  or  feather  flag,  or  break  the  goodly  cone  ? 
Hawnk  I  onward  to  the  cool  blue  lakes  where  lie  our  safe  love-bowers, 
No  stop,  no  drop  of  ocean-brine,  near  stool  or  hassock  hoary. 
Our  travelling  watchword  is  *  our  mates,  our  goslings,  and  our  glory  P 
Symsonia  and  Labrador  for  us  are  crowned  with  flowers, 
And  not  a  breast  on  wave  shall  rest,  until  that  heaven  is  ours. 

Hawnk!  Hawnk!  E—e Hawnk!" 


ILD  GEESE  are  widely  spread  over  the 
whole  of  the  country;  and  there  are 
few  portions  of  the  United  States  where 
the  honking  of  the  goose  is  not  familiar 
to  the  inhabitants.  These  fowl,  in  their 
migrations  south  and  north,  are  con- 
sidered the  sure  harbingers  of  dreary 
winter  or  the  near  approach  of  cheerful 

They  breed  in  the  remotest  regions  of  the  North,  even 

329 


330  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

perhaps  under  the  very  Pole  itself,  where,  undisturbed  by  the 
cruel  hands  of  man,  they  rear  their  young  in  the  most  perfect 
security,  and  only  leave  those  peaceful  climes  when  driven  from 
them  by  the  severity  of  threatening  winter. 

Wild  geese  make  their  appearance  on  the  Delaware  and  Chesa- 
peake Bays  in  October ;  and  when  many  are  flying  early  in  the 
season  it  is  considered  a  certain  prognostic  of  a  long  and  hard 
winter, — a  belief  in  which  all  the  inhabitants  of  those  parts  which 
they  visit  place  implicit  confidence. 

During  their  journey  through  the  Canadas,  their  thick  ranks 
are  considerably  thinned  by  the  slaughter  made  among  them  by 
the  Indians,  who  kill  immense  numbers  for  their  own  support  and 
for  that  of  the  English  settlements  about  Hudson's  Bay. 

The  geese  are  cleaned  and  salted  away  for  the  winter's  use,  and 
afford  the  principal  article  of  flesh  that  the  people  have  to  rely 
upon  for  several  months  in  the  year. 

Mr.  Pennat  says,  "  The  English  at  Hudson's  Bay  depend  greatly 
on  geese  of  this  and  other  kinds  for  their  support,  and  in  favor- 
able years  kill  three  or  four  thousand,  which  are  salted  and 
barrelled.  Their  arrival  is  impatiently  expected  by  the  inhabit- 
ants, as  they  are  one  of  the  chief  articles  of  their  food  and  also 
the  harbingers  of  spring ;  and  the  month  is  named  by  the  Indians 
the  G-oose-moon.  They  appear  usually  at  our  settlements  in  num- 
bers about  St.  George's  day,  and  fly  northward  to  nestle  in  se- 
curity. They  prefer  islands  to  the  continent,  as  farther  from  the 
haunts  of  men.  Thus,  Marble  Island  was  found  in  August  to 
swarm  with  swans,  geese,  and  ducks, — the  old  ones  moulting,  and 
the  young  unfledged  and  incapable  of  flying.  The  English  send 
out  their  servants  as  well  as  the  Indians  to  shoot  these  birds  on 
their  passage.  It  is  in  vain  to  pursue  them ;  they  therefore  form 
a  row  of  huts  made  of  boughs,  at  musket-shot  distance  from  each 
other,  and  place  them  in  a  line  across  the  parts  of  the  vast  marshes 
of  the  country  where  the  geese  are  expected  to  pass.  Each  stand 
is  occupied  by  a  single  person ;  these,  on  the  approach  of  the 
birds,  mimic  their  cackle  so  well  that  the  geese  will  answer,  wheel, 


CANADA    GOOSE.  331 

and  come  nearer  the  hovel.  The  sportsman  keeps  motionless  and 
on  his  knees,  with  his  gun  cocked,  and  never  fires  till  he  has  seen 
the  eyes  of  the  geese.  He  fires  as  they  are  going  from  him,  then 
picks  up  another  gun  that  lies  by  him  and  discharges  that.  The 
geese  killed  he  sets  up  on  sticks,  as  if  alive,  to  decoy  others ;  he 
also  makes  artificial  birds  for  the  same  purpose.  In  a  good  day  (for 
they  fly  in  very  uncertain  and  unequal  numbers)  a  single  Indian  will 
kill  two  hundred.  Notwithstanding  every  sort  of  goose  has  a  differ- 
ent call,  yet  the  Indians  are  admirable  in  their  imitation  of  every  one. ' ' 

The  geese,  on  their  return  to  the  North,  pass  through  the  East- 
ern States  in  the  months  of  April  and  May,  early  or  late,  accord- 
ing to  the  state  of  the  weather.  When  in  our  waters  they  feed 
on  the  leaves,  blades,  and  berries  of  different  marine  plants,  and 
the  roots  of  the  sedge  which  grows  so  abundantly  on  the  salt 
marshes.  Their  flight  is  heavy  and  laborious,  and  in  the  form  of 
a  triangle,  the  flock  being  led  by  an  old  gander.  When  wounded, 
they  swim  and  dive  with  great  facility,  going  long  distances  under 
the  water.  When  taken  alive,  they  are  easily  domesticated,  and 
will  breed  readily  with  the  tame  goose.  It  is  a  very  common 
circumstance  to  see  flocks  of  these  geese  entirely  domesticated  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  waters  which  they  frequented  in  their 
original  state  of  freedom.  Although  they  may  have  become  quite 
tame,  and  perhaps  have  reared  a  brood  or  two,  they  are  all  apt  to  ex- 
hibit symptoms  of  uneasiness  as  the  period  for  migration  approaches, 
and  will  sometimes  fly  off  with  the  wild  ones  that  they  hear  lionhing 
overhead.  The  Canadian  goose  is  domesticated  in  England  and 
France,  and  is  considered  superior  to  the  common  gray  goose. 

Many  plans  are  resorted  to  by  the  shooters  on  our  coast  to 
decoy  these  wary  fowl  within  gunshot,  and  none  more  successful 
than  that  of  imitating  their  honkings,  which  most  of  them  can  do 
to  perfection. 

Domestic  geese  are  also  used  to  decoy  the  wild  ones  flying  over- 
head ;  and  they  not  unfrequently  entice  them  from  great  heights 
in  the  air  to  alight  among  them,  supposing  them  to  be  some  of 
their  own  companions  feeding  in  safety  below. 


832  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

They  are  also  shot  at  night  on  the  ponds  and  marshes  where 
thej  go  to  feed. 

Numbers  are  shot  over  decoys  from  the  sand-flats,  or  points 
upon  which  are  sunk  boxes,  in  which  the  shooter  conceals  himself. 
When  only  wounded,  they  are  diiOficult  to  capture,  as  they  swim  and 
dive  well,  and  also  possess  the  power  of  sinking  their  bodies  in 
the  water  with  the  bill  only  projecting  above  the  surface,  and  will 
continue  in  this  position  for  some  time. 

Wild  geese,  when  migrating  South,  sometimes  lose  their  way, 
more  particularly  in  foggy  weather,  when  they  have  been  known 
to  alight  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  farm-houses,  apparently 
much  confused  and  wonder-struck  at  their  peculiar  and  dangerous 
position.  When  feeding,  sanding,  or  sleeping,  they  always  place 
sentinels  on  guard,  who  are  regularly  relieved  at  the  lapse  of  an 
hour  or  so.  These  sentinels  are  ever  on  the  alert,  with  wide- 
extended  necks,  and  give  the  alarm  to  their  companions  at  the 
slightest  intimation  of  danger. 

DESCRIPTION. 

"  The  length  of  this  species  is  three  feet ;  extent  five  feet  two 
inches ;  the  bill  is  black ;  irides  dark  hazel ;  upper  half  of  the 
neck  black,  marked  on  the  chin  and  lower  part  of  the  head  with  a 
large  patch  of  white,  its  distinguishing  character ;  lower  part  of 
the  neck,  before,  white;  back  and  wing-coverts  brown,  each  feather 
tipped  with  whitish ;  rump  and  tail  black ;  tail-coverts  and  vent 
white ;  primaries  black,  reaching  to  the  extremity  of  the  tail ; 
sides  pale  ashy-brown ;  legs  and  feet  blackish  ash. 

"  The  male  and  female  are  exactly  alike  in  plumage." 


SNOW-GOOSE.  333 


ANAS  HYPERBORBA.      SNOW-GOOSE. 

"  Hoarse,  heavy  geese  scream  up  the  distant  sky 
And  all  the  thunders  of  our  boat  defy." 

This  beautiful  fowl  is  known  upon  our  coast  as  the  red  goose, 
and  makes  its  appearance  in  the  rivers  of  the  Eastern  States  early 
in  November,  and  as  the  winter  progresses  proceeds  farther  South ; 
it  also  stops  with  us  on  its  return  to  the  North  early  in  the  spring, 
or  rather  late  in  the  winter. 

Snow-geese  are  numerous  on  the  coast  of  Jersey  and  in  the 
Delaware  Bay.  They  frequent  the  marshes  and  reedy  shores  to 
feed  upon  the  roots  of  various  marine  plants, — more  particularly 
that  called  sea-cabbage.  Their  bills  being  very  strong  and  well 
supplied  with  powerful  teeth,  they  pull  up  with  great  facility  the 
roots  of  sedge  and  all  other  plants. 

Their  flesh,  though  not  fishy,  is  strong,  but,  we  think,  better  than 
that  of  the  domestic  fowl. 

The  same  stratagems  are  used  to  shoot  these  fowls  as  are  put 
into  practice  to  kill  the  other  variety. 

DESCRIPTION. 

"The  snow-goose  is  two  feet  eight  inches  in  length  and  five  feet 
in  extent ;  the  bill  is  three  inches  in  length,  remarkably  thick  at 
the  base,  and  rising  high  in  the  forehead,  but  becomes  small  and 
compressed  at  the  extremity,  where  each  mandible  is  furnished 
with  a  whitish  rounding  nail ;  the  color  of  the  bill  is  a  purplish  car- 
mine ;  the  edges  of  the  two  mandibles  separate  from  each  other  in 
a  singular  manner  for  their  whole  length,  and  this  gibbosity  is 
occupied  by  dented  rows,  resembling  teeth,  these  and  the  parts 
adjoining  being  of  a  blackish  color;  the  whole  plumage  is  of  a 
snowy  whiteness,  with  the  exception,  first,  of  the  forepart  of  the 
head  all  round  as  far  as  the  eyes,  which  is  of  a  yellowish-rust 
color  intermixed  with  white ;  and,  second,  the  nine  exterior  quill- 


334 


lewis's  ameeicak  sportsman. 


feathers,  which  are  black,  shafted  with  white,  and  white  at  the 
root ;  the  coverts  of  these  last,  and  also  the  bastard  wing,  are 
sometimes  of  a  pale  ash  color ;  the  legs  and  feet  of  the  same  pur- 
plish carmine  as  the  bill ;  iris  dark  hazel ;  the  tail  is  rounded,  and 
consists  of  sixteen  feathers ;  that  and  the  wings  when  shut  nearly 
of  a  length." 

Wilson  remarks  that  ''the  bill  of  this  bird  is  singularly  curious: 
the  edges  of  the  upper  and  lower  gibbosities  have  each  twenty- 
three  indentations  or  strong  teeth  on  each  side;  the  inside  or 
concavity  of  the  upper  mandible  has  also  seven  lateral  rows  of 
strong  projecting  teeth;  and  the  tongue,  which  is  horny  at  the 
extremity,  is  armed  on  each  side  with  thirteen  long  and  sharp  bony 
teeth,  placed  like  those  of  a  saw,  with  their  points  directed  back- 
wards ;  the  tongue  turned  up,  and  viewed  on  its  lower  side,  looks 
very  much  like  a  human  finger  with  its  nail.  This  conformation 
of  the  mandibles,  exposing  two  rows  of  strong  teeth,  has  probably 
given  rise  to  the  epithet  'laughing,'  bestowed  on  one  of  its  varie- 
ties, though  it  might  with  as  much  propriety  have  been  named  the 
grinning  goose.'* 


ILSON  considers  the  brant  and  barnacle 
goose  the  same  bird.     Large  flocks  of 
these  fowl  arrive  on  the  coast  of  Jersey 
in  the  latter  part  of  September  or  early 
in  October.      They  remain  in  these  re- 
gions till  the  weather  gets  very  cold,  and 
then  move  off  to  the  South.     They  feed 
on  shell-fish  and  marine  vegetables :  their 
flesh  is  sedgy,  and  often  extremely  fishy. 
Our  markets  are  crowded  with  brant  in 
autumn  and  spring,  and  they  sell  for  a  mere  trifle.     They  have  a 
hoarse,  honking,  disagreeable  note,  and  may  be  heard  at  a  great 
distance.     They  are  shy  birds,  and  fly  high  and  in  long  lines. 

Great  numbers  of  brant  are  killed  about  Long  Island  by  shoot- 
ers concealed  in  batteries  somewhat  similar  to  those  used  on  the 
Chesapeake  Bay  for  the  capture  of  canvas-backs.  Those  shot 
late  in  the  spring  are  much  better  eating  than  at  any  other  time. 

Unsuccessful  attempts  have  been  made  to  domesticate  them,  but, 

835 


336 


LEWIS   S    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


owing  to  their  wild  and  wandering  disposition,  but  little  has  been 
accomplished  towards  this  end. 

DESCRIPTION. 

"The  brant  generally  weighs  about  four  pounds  avoirdupois, 
and  measures  two  feet  in  length  and  three  feet  six  inches  in  ex- 
tent; the  bill  is  about  an  inch  and  a  half  long,  and  black;  the 
nostril  large,  placed  nearly  in  its  middle ;  head,  neck,  and  breast 
black,  the  neck  marked  with  a  spot  of  white  about  two  inches  below 
the  eye ;  belly  pale  ash,  edged  with  white ;  from  the  thighs  back- 
wards, white;  back  and  wing-coverts  dusky  brownish-black,  the 
plumage  lightest  at  the  tips ;  rump  and  middle  of  the  tail-coverts 
black;  the  rest  of  the  tail-coverts  pure  white,  reaching  nearly  to 
the  tip  of  the  tail,  the  whole  of  which  is  black,  but  usually  con- 
cealed by  the  white  coverts ;  primaries  and  secondaries  deep  black ; 
legs  also  black ;  irides  dark  hazel. 

"  The  only  material  difference  observable  between  the  plumage 
of  the  male  and  female  is,  that  in  the  latter  the  white,  spot  on  the 
neck  is  less,  and  more  mottled  with  dusky.  In  young  birds  it  is 
sometimes  wanting,  or  occurs  on  the  front,  cheeks,  and  chin,  and 
sometimes  the  upper  part  of  the  neck  only  is  black ;  but  in  full- 
plumaged  birds  of  both  sexes  the  markings  are  very  much  alike." 


AMERICAN  SWAN — CYGNUS  AMERICANA; 

AND 

TRUMPETER   SWAN — CYGNUS  BUCINATOR. 


"  The  stately-sailing  swan 
Gives  out  his  snowy  plumage  to  the  gale ; 
And,  arching  proud  his  neck,  with  oary  feet 
Bears  forward  fierce,  and  guards  his  osier- isle, 
Protective  of  his  young." 

WHERE  FOUND,   ETC. 

E  have  two  or  more  varieties  of  swans 
which  visit  the  shores  of  «our  Atlantic 
States.  At  times  they  are  quite  nume- 
rous in  the  vicinity  of  Carrol's  Island, 
more  particularly  if  the  weather  continues 
boisterous  for  several  days,  when  they 
retire  from  the  mid-bay  to  seek  food  on 
the  shallows  of  the  coves  or  under  the 

protection  of  the  islands  a  considerable  distance  from  the  sea. 

22  337 


338 


lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


Swans  are  very  shy,  fly  high,  and  are  not  easily  brought  down  un- 
less struck  in  some  vital  part.  The  flesh  of  the  cygnet,  or  young 
swan,  is  considered  excellent.  We  have  eaten  of  it  frequently,  but 
cannot  say  that  we  have  any  great  predilection  in  its  favor.  One 
thing  is  certain,  however :  it  is  superior  to  the  wild  goose,  but  in- 
ferior to  the  canvas-back. 

Swans  are  frequently — and,  we  may  say,  easily — domesticated ; 
but  they  will  not  thrive  save  where  they  can  pass  most  of  their 
time  on  the  water.  In  such  favorable  situations  for  their  mode 
of  life,  they  will  breed  and  live  for  years  contented  and  happy. 
Swans,  par  excellence^  are  the  most  beautiful,  most  elegant,  most 
graceful,  and  most  spotless  of  all  fowl.  Their  plumage  is  perfectly 
white. 

The  Cygnus  Americana  is  the  species  most  commonly  met  with. 
The  other  varieties  are  but  seldom  shot  in  these  parts.  Swans,  like 
the  rest  of  the  wild  fowl,  retire  to  the  Far  North  in  the  early 
spring. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


DESCRIPTION,   HABITS,    GENERAL  CHARACTERISTICS,   ETC. 


"SUMMER   DRESS. 

UR  on  tlie  back  yellowish  brown ;  soft  fur, 
from  the  roots  to  the  surface  plumbeous ; 
the  long  hairs  which  extend  beyond  the 
fur,  and  give  the  general  color  to  the  ani- 
mal, are  for  three-fourths  of  their  length 
lead-colored,  then  yellowish,  and  are  tipped 
with  black ;  ears  dark  brown  on  the  outer 
surface,  destitute  of  the  distinct  black  bor- 
der seen  in  the  Northern  hare,  and  not  tipped  with  black  like  those 
of  the  Polar  and  variable  hare;  whiskers  nearly  all  black;  iris 
light  brownish-yellow ;  a  circle  of  fawn-color  around  the  eye,  more 

conspicuous  nearest  the   forehead;    cheeks  grayish;    chin,  under 

839 


S40  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

surface  of  body,  and  inner  surface  of  legs,  light  grayish-white ;  tail, 
upper  surface  grayish  brown,  beneath  white ;  breast  light  yellowish- 
gray  ;  behind  the  ears  a  broad  patch  of  fawn-color ;  outer  surface 
of  fore-legs  and  thighs  yellowish  brown. 

"winter  color. 

"  Very  similar  to  the  above ;  in  a  few  specimens  the  hairs  are 
whitest  at  the  tips ;  in  others  black  tips  prevail.  This  hare  never 
becomes  white  in  any  part  of  our  country,  and  so  far  as  our  re- 
searches have  extended  we  have  scarcely  found  any  variety  in  its 
color. 


li 


dimensions. 


ADULT  MALE.  INCHES.  LINES. 

"Length  of  head  and  body 15  0 

head 3  5 

"         ears 3  0 

"         tail  (vertebrae) 1  2 

"         tail,  including  fur 2  2 

From  heel  to  end  of  middle  claw 3  7 

Weight  2  lbs.  7  oz." — Audubon. 

locality. 

The  gray  rabbit  is  met  with  as  far  north  as  New  Hampshire, 
and  abounds  in  the  Middle,  Southern,  and  Western  States. 

general  characteristics. 

The  timid  and  interesting  little  creature  now  under  considera- 
tion, we  may  say,  is  universally  known  as  the  rabbit ;  this  appella- 
tion, however,  notwithstanding  its  general  use,  is  a  very  unjust  one, 
as  will  be  learned  from  the  following  remarks  on  this  head. 

Those  naturalists  who  have  studied  the  habits  and  characteristics 
of  the  genus  lepus  of  America  do  not  hesitate  for  a  moment  in 
placing  all  the  varieties  yet  met  with  in  their  proper  rank  of  hare. 
And,  moreover,  we  shall,  without  doubt,  surprise  some  of  our 
readers  when  we  tell  them  that  we  have  no  rabbit — that  is,  true 
rabbit — indigenous  to  this  country. 

The  hare  and  rabbit  so  closely  resemble  each  other  in  many 


THE    AMERICAN    HARE.  341 

points  that  it  is  not  at  all  astonishing  that  they  should  often  be 
confounded  one  with  the  other ;  in  fact,  nothing  but  the  discrimi- 
nating eyes  of  science  could  have  pointed  out  the  dividing-line 
between  these  two  nearly-allied  species. 

The  principal  and  most  striking  difference  in  the  habits  of  these 
two  species  is  the  circumstance  of  one  living  in  communities  and 
burrowing  in  the  ground,  while  the  other  lives  singly  or  in 
pairs,  and  makes  its  nest  upon  the  open  surface ;  this  peculiarity 
of  the  American  hare  is  almost  sufficient  of  itself  to  prove  the  en- 
tire identity  of  the  species  with  that  of  the  English  hare,  (Lepus 
cuniculus.) 

We  have,  however,  still  stronger  grounds  than  this  for  placing 
our  rabbit,  as  it  is  termed,  in  the  same  rank  with  that  of  the  Euro- 
pean hare. 

The  American  hare,  as  the  English,  breeds  about  three  times  in 
the  course  of  a  year ;  in  the  South  they  may  possibly,  owing  to 
the  effects  of  climate,  bring  forth  more  frequently.  Their  nest  is 
of  the  rudest  character,  and  constructed  with  little  or  no  care  for 
any  thing  like  warmth  or  comfort ;  it  is  generally  found  upon  the 
open  ground,  in  an  old  field,  perhaps  protected  somewhat  from  the 
weather  and  easy  observation  by  the  overhanging  leaves  of  a 
shrub  or  other  small  plant. 

The  rabbit,  on  the  contrary,  has  several  litters  in  the  course  of 
the  year,  and  selects  with  some  degree  of  care  the  choicest  part  of 
its  burrow  for  the  deposit  of  its  young ;  the  nest  is  made  of  the 
softest  materials  within  the  reach  of  the  anxious  mother,  and  she 
even  plucks  the  downy  fleece  from  her  own  body  to  furnish  a  soft 
and  warm  bed  for  the  reception  of  her  tender  offspring. 

The  young  of  the  Lepus  sylvaticus,  at  birth,  are  covered  with 
hair ;  their  eyes  wide  open  and  ready  for  immediate  use ;  their  ears 
fully  developed  and  eager  for  action ;  their  bodies  supple  and  their 
limbs  pliant,  even  so  much  so  that  they  possess  sufficient  strength 
to  run  almost  at  the  moment  of  birth. 

The  young  of  the  rabbit,  on  the  contrary,  are  deposited  in  the 
dark  recesses  of  the  burrow,  entirely  destitute  of  any  protectioix  in 


342  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

the  way  of  fur,  their  eyes  shut  up  and  their  ear-flaps  even  closed ; 
their  bodies  also  are  soft  and  delicate,  and  their  limbs  feeble ;  in 
fact,  the  litter  is  entirely  dependent  upon  the  anxious  care  of  its 
parent  for  protection  and  support  for  a  considerable  time  after 
birth. 

The  flesh  also  of  the  hare  and  rabbit  is  quite  dissimilar ;  the 
former  when  boiled  is  dark,  the  latter  white ;  there  is  also  a  game- 
flavor  about  the  one  that  the  other  does  not  possess. 

The  rabbit  is  a  lively,  frolicsome  little  animal,  delighting  to  pop 
in  and  out  of  its  burrow  at  all  hours  of  the  day,  to  bask  for  a  few 
moments  in  the  sun  and  collect  something  to  eat,  and  then  away 
at  the  slightest  token  of  alarm  to  the  depths  of  its  subterranean 
abode. 

The  hare  is  a  timid,  lonely  creature,  sitting  motionless  for  hours, 
crouched  up  within  its  form^ — a  mere  space  the  size  of  the  animal 
upon  the  open  ground, — or  perhaps  snugly  stowed  away  under  a  pile 
of  brush,  stones,  or  rubbish  of  any  description  whatever. 

The  rabbit,  when  pursued  by  dogs,  takes  to  his  burrow  as  the 
only  secure  refuge. 

The  hare,  on  the  contrary,  trusts  in  a  great  measure  to  his  speed 
and  cunning" to  insure  his  safety;  and  when  pursued  by  dogs  the 
American  species  resort  to  the  same  method  of  escaping  from  their 
enemies  as  the  English  variety, — that  is,  doubling.  The  construc- 
tion of  the  hind-legs  is  also  the  same  in  the  one  as  in  the  other, 
being  not  less  than  ten  inches  in  length,  which  is  large  in  proportion 
to  the  size  of  the  body ;  those  of  the  rabbit  are  much  smaller. 

The  American  hare  has  from  three  to  five  young  at  a  litter, 
sometimes  six,  and  rarely  seven.  If  it  were  not  for  the  wonderful 
fecundity  of  this  animal,  the  whole  race  would  soon  become  extinct, 
from  the  constant  and  never-ceasing  depredations  of  its  numerous 
enemies.  Nature,  however,  wise  in  all  her  plans,  compensates  for 
the  waste  on  one  side  by  an  extraordinary  fruitfulness  on  the  other, 
thus  balancing  the  losses  from  destruction  by  that  of  reproduction, 
in  a  ratio  which  is  always  sufficient  to  insure  the  prolonged  exist- 
ence of  the  race. 


THE    AMERICAN    HARE.  343 

The  hare  is  peculiarly  adapted  for  speed,  not  only  on  account 
of  the  general  muscularity  of  its  body,  but  also  from  the  peculiar 
construction  of  its  hind-limbs,  which,  being  so  very  long,  assist  the 
animal  greatly  in  going  up-hill, — in  fact,  gives  it  considerable  ad- 
vantage over  the  pursuer,  and  of  which,  from  cunning,  or,  more 
properly,  instinct,  it  avails  itself  by  taking  to  rising  ground  as  soon 
as  come  upon.  The  hare  is  always  in  good  running  condition  at 
that  season  of  the  year  when  it  is  most  likely  to  be  pursued  by 
dogs  or  other  less  dangerous  foes ;  this  circumstance  also  we  may 
regard  as  a  peculiar  provision  of  nature,  for  if  the  timid  little 
creature  were  permitted  to  repose  in  ease  and  silence,  entirely  free 
from  apprehension  of  danger  except  at  the  moment  when  really 
attacked,  the  body  would  soon  become  overloaded  with  fat,  which 
would  necessarily  prevent  it  from  taking  advantage  of  that  fleet- 
ness  which,  when  in  condition,  insures  its  safety. 

The  American  hare  has  considerable  speed,  and  can  run  for  a 
short  time  without  giving  out ;  the  hairy  covering  of  its  feet  gives 
it  a  decided  advantage  over  the  dog  in  a  race,  during  dry  or  frosty 
weather.  When  hotly  pursued,  hares  most  frequently  take  to 
holes,  hollowed  trunks  of  trees,  or  secrete  themselves  under  brush- 
heaps,  old  logs,  or  piles  of  stone.  When  first  roused,  the  hare 
dashes  off  in  good  style,  and  at  a  speed  that  soon  leaves  its  pur- 
suers far  in  the  wake ;  but,  unfortunately,  for  want  of  sagacity, 
puss  exhausts  her  strength  long  before  the  scent  grows  cold  or 
the  hounds  begin  to  tire,  and,  if  it  were  not  for  their  taking  to 
holes,  piles  of  logs  or  brush,  they  would  soon  fall  victims  to  almost 
any  cur  that  has  the  bottom  and  perseverance  to  follow  in  their  trail. 

The  construction  and  position  of  the  eyes  in  the  head  are  such 
as  to  enable  the  hare  to  encompass  nearly  a  whole  circle  in  its 
glance,  with  scarcely  any  motion  of  the  head;  the  eyelids  are 
never  completely  closed,  not  even  in  sleep.  The  ears  also  are  so 
contrived  as  to  collect  the  slightest  sound  arising  in  any  quarter. 
With  such  endowments,  it  is  seldom  that  a  hare  is  come  upon  un- 
awares, although  he  may  spring  up  from  beneath  our  very  feet,  or 
from  before  the  nose  of  our  dogs ;  he  was  well  apprized  however,  of 


344  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

our  close  proximity,  and  only  trusted,  as  he  had  often  done  before, 
that,  owing  to  the  striking  semblance  between  his  color  and  that  of 
the  ground  or  surrounding  herbage,  he  would  escape  unnoticed. 

The  hare  may  be  termed  a  nocturnal  animal,  "as  it  is  commonly 
at  the  earliest  dawn,  while  the  dew-drops  still  glitter  on  the  herb- 
age, or  when  the  fresh  verdure  is  concealed  beneath  a  mantle  of 
glistening  frost,  that  the  timorous  hare  ventures  forth  in  quest  of 
food,  or  courses  undisturbed  over  the  plains." 

Although  sportsmen  meet  with  hares  in  considerable  numbers 
at  all  hours  of  the  day,  it  must  be  recollected  that  they  are  not 
found  feeding,  but,  on  the  contrary,  are  generally  roused  from 
their  forms,  where  perhaps  they  have  been  crouching  for  hours  in 
undisturbed  repose. 

"  During  moonlight  nights,  the  timorous  hare  may  be  seen 
sporting  with  its  companions  in  unrestrained  gambols,  frisking 
with  delighted  eagerness  around  its  mate,  or  busily  engaged  in 
cropping  its  food." 

THEIR    FOOD. 

The  hare  is  not  a  very  dainty  animal  as  to  the  choice  of  her 
food;  every  thing  produced  upon  a  farm  or  cultivated  in  the 
garden  is  alike  palatable  to  her,  and  she  not  unfrequently  makes 
great  havoc  with  the  autumnal  turnip  and  cabbage-crops ;  she  also 
frequents  the  cornfields  to  glean  the  scattered  grains,  and  visits 
the  orchards  in  quest  of  the  juicy  apple.  The  partiality  on  the 
part  of  the  hare  for  the  last-mentioned  fruit  is  turned  to  fearful 
account  against  them  by  those  who  bait  their  traps  and  snares 
with  it,  for  the  dainty  morsel  thus  laid  in  their  very  path  seldom 
fails  to  entice  an  unwary  hare  within  its  deceptive  clutches. 

Later  in  the  season,  when  food  is  scarce  and  nothing  more 
palatable  is  at  hand,  hares  often  become  very  destructive  to  the 
young  nurseries,  by  gnawing  the  tender  bark  from  the  fruit-trees, 
which  they  greedily  devour. 

Hares  are  fond  of  every  description  of  wild  fruit  and  berries; 
and  it  is  not  until  after  the  commencement  of  the  frost,  when  all 


THE    AMERICAN    HARE.  345 

these  various  productions  are  ripe,  that  they  become  fit  for  the 
table. 

In  the  North,  they  depend  for  support  during  the  long  winters 
upon  the  buds  and  bark  of  the  pine  and  fir,  upon  which  they 
grow  fat. 

THEIR   FLESH. 

The  flesh  of  the  American  hare,  when  cooked,  is  dark  and  of  a 
game-flavor,  and,  if  it  were  not  for  their  great  abundance,  would  be 
highly  esteemed  as  a  delicacy  for  the  table ;  but,  so  long  as  they 
can  be  purchased  in  our  markets  at  twelve  and  a  half  cents  apiece, 
the  public  will  not  think  a  great  deal  of  them. 

The  hare  is  not  in  condition  for  the  table  until  after  several 
severe  frosts,  when  the  meat  will  be  found  clean,  delicate,  juicy, 
and  tender,  provided  it  is  cooked  in  right  style  and  with  the  pro- 
per condiments.  In  the  summer  season,  hares  are  not  fit  for  the 
table  at  all;  their  flesh  at  this  time  is  tough  and  stringy,  and, 
moreover,  their  bodies,  more  particularly  about  the  head  and 
upper  part  of  the  neck,  are  infested  with  a  species  of  oestrus,  that 
lays  its  eggs  in  the  skin,  and  which,  when  hatched,  grow  sometimes 
to  an  enormous  size  before  leaving  its  nest ;  we  have  found  them 
buried  in  the  very  flesh  of  the  neck,  as  much  as  an  inch  long,  and 
as  large  as  the  point  of  the  little  finger.  Their  presence  must 
worry  and  torment  the  poor  animal  much,  as  we  have  always 
found  those  with  these  worms  in  them  very  lean,  and  to  all  appear- 
ance weak  and  sickly.  We  have  shot  them  as  late  as  November 
with  these  worms  in  them,  but  they  generally  fall  out  much  earlier 
than  this. 


HUNTING   HARES. 

NSTEAD  of  coursing  hares  as  they  do  in 
England  and  on  the  Continent,  we  either 
take  them  in  snares  and  traps,  or  rous- 
ing them  with  a  dog,  shoot  them  as  they 
make  off.  They  are  easily  killed,  and  it 
will  require  but  a  few  pellets  of  partridge- 
shot  to  bring  a  large  one  to  bag. 

They  possess  a  strong  scent,  and  perplex 
the  dogs  very  much  when  in  pursuit  of 
partridges :  the  best  of  dogs  can  hardly 
refrain  from  chasing  a  hare,  after  pointing  it  and  seeing  it  jump 
up  and  make  oiff  from  before  his  very  nose.  They  lie  very  close, 
and  it  will  be  necessary  oftentimes  to  kick  them  up  from  their 
form  when  the  dog  points  them;  we  have  done  so  repeatedly. 
Hares  affect  marshy  thickets,  or  rather  the  open  fields  adjoin- 
ing thickets ;  as  they  retire  to  these  situations  for  refuge  as  soon 
as  roused,  and  in  fact  remain  there  during  the  greater  portion  of 
the  day.  They  bound  along  with  considerable  speed  and  gene- 
346 


THE    AMERICAN    HARE.  347 

rally  in  a  straight  course,  but  when  hard  pressed  resort  to  the 
artifices  of  doubling, —  a  manoeuvre  practised  constantly  by  the 
European  variety.  They  will  also  hide  themselves  away  in  the 
trunk  of  a  hollow  tree,  which  they  ascend  by  pressing  the  feet 
and  back  against  opposite  sides  of  the  hollow. 

The  kind  of  dogs  most  generally  employed  in  the  pursuit  of 
hares  in  this  country  is  a  small  species  of  beagle,  the  production, 
we  believe,  of  a  cross  and  recross  of  the  fox-hound  and  beagle. 
These  animals,  as  well  as  most  other  mongrels  found  on  our  farms, 
become  very  fond  of  the  sport,  and  acquire  considerable  sagacity 
and  speed  in  the  chase. 

There  are  few  dogs  that  live  in  the  country  but  will  hunt  rabbits, 
or,  more  correctly  speaking,  hares ;  some  of  course  are  far  superior 
to  others,  according  to  their  build  and  the  intelligence  bequeathed 
them  by  their  ancestors. 

DOMESTICATED. 

American  hares  have  in  some  few  instances  been  domesticated, 
but,  when  confined  in  enclosures,  are  ever  making  efibrts  to  escape ; 
they  will,  however,  breed  in  warrens. 

THEIR   CRY. 

"  This  species,  like  all  the  true  hares,  has  no  note  of  recognition ; 
and  its  voice  is  never  heard,  except  when  wounded,  or  at  the  mo- 
ment of  its  capture,  when  it  utters  a  shrill,  plaintive  cry,  like  that 
of  a  young  child  in  pain ;  in  the  Northern  hare  this  cry  is  louder, 
shriller,  and  of  longer  continuance." 

ENEMIES. 

It  is  not  surprising  that  a  timid,  defenceless  creature  like  the 
hare  should  have  numerous  sanguinary  enemies ;  and  among  them 
none  are  more  destructive  than  the  weasel.  This  formidable  and 
courageous  little  animal  is  constantly  on  the  look-out  for  hares, 
and,  tracking  them,  enters  the  lioles,  hollow  trees,  or  other  places 
where  they  are  secreted,  and  dispatches  them  with  the  greatest 


348  lewis's     AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

ferocity.  Skunks,  wild  cats,  foxes,  hawks,  owls,  snakes,  &c.  all 
prey  upon  the  hare  whenever  they  can  succeed  in  capturing  him 
either  by  pursuit,  stealth,  or  stratagem. 

DIFFERENT  VARIETIES. 

There  are  several  varieties  of  hares  distributed  over  different 
sections  of  our  extensive  country.  Their  habits  are  generally 
very  analogous  to  those  of  the  Lepus  sylvaticus. 

Some  varieties,  however,  are  smaller,  while  others  are  larger; 
and  those  inhabiting  the  more  northern  latitudes  change  their 
sombre  summer  pelage  during  the  winter  months  to  a  spotless 
white.  Their  flesh  at  the  proper  season  is  universally  esteemed, 
and  the  timid  creatures  are  consequently  much  persecuted  by  the 
inhabitants  of  the  districts  wherever  they  are  found. 

MEMORANDA. 

1.  The  American  hare  is  not  a  rabbit,  but  a  bona  fide  hare,  both 
in  appearance,  flesh,  and  mode  of  life ;  no  naturalist  disputes  the 
point. 

2.  Different  varieties  of  foreign  rabbits  have  been  imported  into 
the  country  from  time  to  time ;  but  there  is  no  species  of  rabbits  s 
native  of  this  continent  as  yet  discovered. 

3.  American  hares,  like  the  European,  live  singly  above  ground, 
and  never  burrow ;  they  also  breed  far  less  often  than  the  rabbit, 
and  have  fewer  at  each  litter. 

4.  The  English  rabbits  live  in  communities,  and  form  extensive 
excavations  in  the  ground,  termed  burrows  or  warrens,  where  they 
mostly  reside  and  deposit  their  young. 

5.  The  young  of  the  Lepus  sylvaticus,  as  the  foreign  hare,  are 
covered  with  hair  at  birth,  their  eyes  open,  and  their  limbs  strong 
enough  for  immediate  action. 

6.  The  young  of  the  true  rabbit  are  quite  bare  of  hair :  when 
first  brought  forth,  their  eyes  are  closed  and  their  limbs  tender 
and  weakly. 

7.  The  American  hare  is  a  lonely,  timid  creature ;  the  rabbit, 


THE    AMERICAN     HARE.  349 

on  the  contrary,  is  a  social,  frolicsome,  bold  or  rather  pert  little 
animal. 

8.  The  hind-legs  of  the  Lepus  sylvaticus  are  -very  long,  and 
formed  like  those  of  the  European  hare,  and  are  consicqiicntly  quite 
different  from  those  of  the  rabbit. 

9.  The  Lepus  sylvaticus,  when  pursued  by  dogs,  trusts  in  a  great 
measui'e  to  her  speed  for  safety,  and  resorts  to  the  same  devices  to 
insure  her  escape  (that  is,  doubling)  as  the  English  variety. 

10.  The  rabbit,  on  the  contrary,  takes  to  her  burrow  as  her  only 
safeguard. 

11.  The  flesh  of  the  hare,  when  boiled,  is  dark ;  that  of  the 
rabbit,  white 

12.  The  hare  is  almost  entirely  a  nocturnal  animal;  the  rabo.c 
but  little  so. 


^':^::^^^^€^^i^iM&^^^ 


•^^iPiBIRiiw-SiW  * 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


THE  SQUIRREL. 

From  bough  to  bough  the  scampering  squirrels  bound, 
But  soon  in  smoky  thunders  bite  the  ground  ; 
Life's  gushing  streams  their  sable  furs  defile." 

E  hardly  think  it  will  he  expected  of  us 
to  include  the  subject  of  squirrel-shoot- 
ing in  this  volume ;  however,  as  we  know 
something  about  the  matter,  (perhaps 
nothing  new,)  picked  up  during  our  early 
school-days  in  a  great  squirrel-country, 
it  may  not  be  amiss  in  us  to  devote  a  few 
pages  to  these  interesting  little  creatures, 
that  enliven  the  solitude  of  our  deep 
forests  with  their  frolicsome  gambols. 
Our  friend  Porter,  in  his  reprint  of  Hawker, — by-the-by  a  most 

excellent  woik  in  itself,  and  made  still  more  so  by  the  valuable 
350 


THE    SQUIRREL.  351 

additions   of    the   editor, — gives  a  most  interesting   account   jf 
squirrel-shooting. 

If  all  our  readers  would  peruse  the  articles  referred  to  in  the 
above  publication,  they  would  have  nothing  further  to  learn  on 
the  subject,  save  a  few  hints  as  to  the  habits  of  the  animal. 

VARIETIES    OF    SQUIRRELS. 

"  There  are  no  less  than  sixty  or  seventy  varieties  of  this  genu3 
described  by  naturalists,  of  which  twenty  well-determined  species 
exist  in  North  America." 

HABITS,   LOCALITY,  AND   GENERAL   CHARACTERISTICS. 

The  habits  of  the  whole  race  of  squirrels  are  nearly  akin ;  ana 
their  bodies  are  covered  with  long,  soft,  and  beautiful  fur,  and 
furnished  with  a  long,  wiry,  and  bushy  tail,  which  latter  appendage 
adds  greatly  to  their  graceful  appearance,  as  they  are  all  alike 
remarkable  for  their  sprightliness,  agility,  and  elegance  of  form. 

Squirrels  are  at  all  times,  even  in  a  state  of  captivity,  of  t 
restless,  active  disposition.  In  their  native  wilds  they  are  ever 
frolicsome  and  gay,  jumping  from  tree  to  tree.  They  pass  their 
time  in  joyousness  and  unrestrained  freedom  in  the  midst  of  the 
rich  abundance  of  our  forests.  When  moving  on  the  ground,  the 
squirrel  seldom  runs,  but  advances  by  a  series  of  jumps.  They 
are  of  a  sly,  mercurial  temperament,  seldom  remaining  still  fox'  a 
moment,  except  when  alarmed ;  then  they  will  stretch  themselves 
out  at  full  length,  on  the  topmost  branch  of  a  high  tree,  on  the 
side  opposite  to  the  seat  of  danger,  and  thus  remain  perfectly 
motionless,  as  if  a  part  or  parcel  of  the  tree  itself,  until  the  cause 
of  the  alarm  has  moved  off. 

They  generally  build  large  nests  formed  of  twigs,  moss,  and 
leaves,  in  the  notches  of  the  highest  forest-trees,  or  take  up  their 
abode  in  hollow  trunks,  or  burrow  in  the  ground. 

The  whole  race  of  squirrels  is  very  prolific ;  and  some  species 
increase  so  rapidly  and  to  such  a  surprising  extent  in  certain 
sections  of  country  that  they  actually  become  a  severe  scourge  to 


352  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

the  farmer,  who,  with  the  assistance  of  all  his  family,  is  not  able 
to  protect  his  hard-earned  crops  from  the  depredations  of  these 
lawless  little  fellows,  that  swarm  in  the  cornfield  at  such  times  by 
hundreds,  and  even  thousands,  consuming  all  within  their  reach, 
and  destroying  still  more  by  throwing  it  down  on  the  ground. 

When  eating,  or  occupied  in  listening,  they  sit  erect  on  their 
hind-legs,  with  their  long,  bushy  tail  raised  beautifully  along  the 
back  as  far  as  the  shoulders,  then  falling  in  a  graceful  curve  near 
the  extremity,  and  hanging  towards  the  ground.  Their  food  is 
always  held  in  their  fore-paws. 

The  teeth  of  the  whole  race  are  remarkable  for  their  sharpness, 
power,  and  durability ;  they  cut  with  ease,  in  an  incredibly  short 
time,  through  the  hardest  hickory-nut,  and  have  the  sagacity  to 
tell  a  withered  or  rotten  nut  from  a  good  one  by  the  mere  feel  or 
smell ;  and  no  sooner  do  they  pick  up  one  of  these  bad  ones  than 
they  turn  it  round  in  their  nimble  paws  and  discard  it.  This  fact 
we  have  again  and  again  tested  with  the  common  gray  squirrel. 
The  gullet  of  the  squirrel  is  said  to  be  very  small,  or  rather  con- 
tracted at  one  point,  to  prevent  the  food  from  being  disgorged 
when  descending  trees.  We  do  not  know  if  such  is  the  fact,  and 
we  have  no  squirrel  at  hand  at  this  present  time  to  examine. 

The  whole  race,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  inhabit  the  thick 
woods,  living  upon  the  profusion  of  seeds,  acorns,  hickory-nuts, 
chestnuts,  and  the  various  other  products  of  our  rich  and  grand 
forests.  Several  varieties  of  squirrels,  more  especially  those 
at  the  North,  are  very  provident  and  thoughtful  of  the  morrow, 
always  collecting  and  laying  up  in  secret  storehouses  the  surplus 
food,  which  they  partake  of  during  the  winter  season,  when  the 
nuts  are  all  shaken  by  the  cold  blasts  from  the  trees,  and  perhaps 
covered  up  a  foot  or  more  in  frozen  snow.  These  well-stocked 
granaries  are  generally  in  the  neighborhood  of  their  nests,  either 
in  the  hollow  of  a  tree,  in  the  bottom  of  an  old  stump,  or  in  the 
wide  fissure  of  an  overhanging  rock.  The  quantities  of  nuts  thus 
stowed  away  by  a  single  squirrel  is  sometimes  enormous.  We  have 
seen  as  much  as  a  bushel  of  hickory-nuts,  chestnuts,  acorns,  beech- 


THE    SQUIRREL.  353 

nuts,  chincapins,  &c.  &c.  deposited  in  one  of  these  spots.  The 
whole,  however,  may  not  have  been  put  there  by  a  single  indi- 
vidual,—  the  stock,  perhaps,  having  been  collected  together  by 
several,  who  made  this  the  general  depot  for  all  their  contribu- 
tions, each  one  laboring  for  the  general  good,  and  all,  in  turn, 
entitled  to  a  full  share  of  the  booty.  Each  squirrel,  most 
commonly,  has  several  different  storehouses,  to  which  he  respect- 
ively resorts  according  to  circumstances.  The  fact  of  these  in- 
dustrious little  animals  providing  themselves  with  more  granaries 
than  one  for  the  guarding  of  their  treasures  is  a  striking  example 
of  that  instinct  which  we  so  often  see  displayed  in  the  inferior 
works  of  creation;  for  their  storehouses  are  often  discovered  by 
the  keen-scented  hog,  and  the  whole  devoured  at  a  single  meal ; 
strange  squirrels,  of  a  larger  variety,  will  also  sometimes  locate 
themselves  near  one  of  these  deposits,  and  not  only  rob  it  of  all  its 
provender,  but  even  deny  the  anxious  owner  the  privilege  of 
sharing  in  the  general  division;  a  drift  of  snow,  or  some  other 
mishap,  will  occasionally  cover  one  up  for  weeks  at  a  time.  In 
either  of  such  emergencies  as  we  have  described,  the  poor  squirrel 
would  have  but  a  slim  chance  to  get  through  the  winter  if  he  had 
not  provided  himself  with  other  secret  stores. 

Squirrels  are  all  very  cleanly  and  nice  in  their  habits  and  gene- 
ral appearance,  and  are  seen  frequently  in  the  course  of  a  day  rub- 
bing their  faces  with  their  paws,  as  if  on  purpose  to  wash  them  off. 

THEIR   ACTIVITY   AND    STRENGTH. 

Squirrels  are  possessed  of  great  muscular  power,  and  leap  with 
surprising  agility  and  precision  from  tree  to  tree ;  and,  when  hotly 
pursued  and  unable  to  reach  the  adjoining  tree  so  as  to  effect  their 
escape,  will  not  hesitate  to  drop  themselves  from  tremendous  heights 
to  the  ground,  and  then  make  off  with  rapid  bounds  to  the  next 
favorable  cluster  of  trees  that  stands  in  their  path. 

Audubon  remarks  that  "  the  squirrel  is  admirably  adapted  to  a 

residence  on  trees,  for  which  nature  has  designed  it.     Its  fingers 

are  long,  slender,  and  deeply  cleft,  and  its  nails  very  acute  and 

23 


354  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

greatly  compressed ;  it  is  enabled  to  leap  from  branch  to  branch, 
and  from  tree  to  tree,  clinging  to  the  smallest  twigs,  and  seldom 
missing  its  hold.  When  this  happens  to  be  the  case,  it  has  an  in- 
stinctive habit  of  grasping  in  its  descent  at  the  first  object  which 
may  present  itself;  or,  if  about  to  fall  to  the  earth,  it  spreads  out 
in  the  manner  of  the  flying  squirrel,  and  thus,  by  presenting  a 
greater  resistance  to  the  air,  is  enabled  to  reach  the  ground  with- 
out injury,  and  recover  itself  so  instantaneously  that  it  often 
escapes  the  teeth  of  the  dog  that  watches  its  descent  and  stands 
ready  to  seize  upon  it  at  the  moment  of  its  fall." 

CAPTIVITY. 

In  captivity  the  most  of  squirrels  are  gay,  lively,  and  mis- 
chievous ;  they  are  easily  tamed,  and  become  very  interesting  pets ; 
the  most  docile,  however,  will  bite,  at  times,  if  worried ;  they  are 
very  destructive  and  troublesome  if  not  perpetually  confined  to 
their  boxes,  as  when  at  liberty  they  try  their  long  and  sharp  teeth 
upon  every  thing  within  their  reach ;  no  article  of  furniture  can 
escape  them. 

Squirrels,  we  have  noticed,  sleep  very  soundly,  and  are  not 
easily  aroused  from  their  slumbers.  They  become  attached  to  their 
keepers,  and  some  of  them  will  allow  no  other  person  to  handle 
them.     They  are  usually  high-tempered,  and  are  easily  irritated. 

Great  alarm  or  sensation  of  pain  is  expressed  by  squirrels  by  a 
sharp,  piercing  cry;  that  of  pleasure  by  a  soft,  rumbling  noise, 
somewhat  like  the  purring  of  a  cat;  when  fretted  or  roused  from 
their  slumbers,  they  give  forth  a  loud  and  angry  growl. 

Although,  in  a  state  of  nature,  nuts,  seeds,  insects,  and  grain  of 
various  kinds  form  their  principal  food,  they  soon  learn  to  partake 
of  almost  every  thing ;  several  that  we  have  had  partook  of  bread 
and  milk  with  the  greatest  relish. 

They  also  become  quite  fond  of  sugar  and  all  kinds  of  sweets, 
as  well  as  fruits  of  every  description ;  they  are  also  very  partial  to 
locusts,  which  they  tear  to  pieces  and  devour  with  the  greatest 
zest. 


THE    SQUIRREL.  355 

When  wild,  squirrels  are  said  never  to  resort  to  the  streams  for 
water,  but  quench  their  thirst  by  sipping  the  dew  and  rain  that 
collects  on  the  leaves  or  in  the  hollows  of  trees ;  when  domesti- 
cated, they  drink  freely  and  often :  this  may  be  occasioned  by  the 
difference  in  diet,  as  the  sweets  they  eat  in  confinement  will  pro- 
duce a  thirst  in  any  animal. 

OTHER   CHARACTERISTICS. 

"In  the  spring  the  squirrels  shed  their  hair,  which  is  replaced 
by  a  thinner  and  less  furry  coat ;  during  summer  their  tails  are 
narrower  and  less  feathery  than  in  autumn,  when  they  either  re- 
ceive an  entirely  new  coat  or  a  very  great  accession  of  fur.  At  this 
season,  also,  the  outer  surfaces  of  the  ears  are  more  thickly  and 
prominently  clothed  with  fur  than  in  the  spring  and  autumn." 

Some  species  of  squirrels  breed  twice  in  the  course  of  the  spring 
and  summer  months ;  they  all  have  several  at  a  litter.  In  the 
northern  latitudes,  where  the  earth  is  shrouded  for  months  in  a 
chilling  mantle  of  snow,  the  various  species  of  squirrels  indigenous 
to  these  inhospitable  climes  retire  to  their  secure  retreats,  either 
in  the  ground,  or  in  the  fissures  of  rocks  or  hollows  of  trees,  where, 
surrounded  by  their  winter  store,  they  pass  the  time  in  a  state  of 
sluggish  and  benumbed  existence,  not  very  far  removed  from  the 
dormancy  observable  in  many  other  quadrupeds.  Some  varieties,  to 
a  certain  extent,  live  in  communities,  more  especially  during  the 
time  they  pass  in  their  winter  quarters.  Several  species  hare 
cheek-pouches,  in  which  they  can  stow  away  an  incredible  quantity 
of  nuts  and  seeds. 


S56  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

THEIR   ENEMIES. 

The  whole  tribe  of  squirrels,  like  the  more  timid  and  defenceless 
hare,  have  a  host  of  enemies  constantly  on  the  look-out  to  make 
them  their  prey. 

The  fox,  weasel,  wild  cat,  and  mink,  are  ever  on  the  prowl,  and 
ready  to  pounce  upon  the  active  little  squirrel  whenever  they  can 
secure  him  by  stratagem  or  pursuit ;  the  weasel  is  ever  on  the  alert, 
and,  following  his  victims  into  their  otherwise  secure  retreats,  at- 
tacks them  with  the  most  sanguinary  spirit,  and  soon  dispatches 
the  anxious  parent  as  well  as  her  tender  and  unconscious  litter, 
impelled  alone  to  such  savage  deeds  by  an  unquenchable  thirst  for 
blood,  for  he  seldom  partakes  of  but  a  small  portion  of  that  which 
he  so  wantonly  destroys. 

Several  varieties  of  hawks,  owls,  and  even  snakes,  capture 
squirrels,  and  prey  upon  their  young. 

SQUIRREL-SHOOTING. 

In  sections  of  country  where  squirrels  are  numerous  and  the  pur- 
suit of  them  is  followed  as  a  sport,  they  are  killed  entirely  with  a 
small-bored  rifle.  Our  squirrel-shooters  become  surprisingly  expert 
in  the  use  of  this  weapon,  and  perform  some  wonderful  feats  with 
it  during  the  squirrel  season ;  they  always  aim  for  the  head,  so  as 
not  to  injure  the  skin,  which  is  valuable  to  the  furrier  if  not  per- 
forated with  a  ball.  It  is  seldom  that  they  miss  a  squirrel,  even 
when  hiding  in  the  topmost  branches  of  our  tallest  forest-trees. 
In  portions  of  country  where  they  are  not  so  numerous,  it  is 
necessary  to  repair  to  the  woods  attended  with  a  squirrel-dog, — 
that  is,  any  kind  of  a  terrier  or  spaniel  mongrel  which  has  been 
taught  "iCo  tree  a  squirrel,"  or,  in  other  words,  to  rush  about  in 
the  woods  till  he  either  sees  a  squirrel  run  up  a  tree  or  gets  upon 
the  fresh  scent  of  one  that  has  just  taken  to  a  tree.  The  dog 
stops  at  the  foot,  and,  looking  wistfully  and  knowingly  up  the 
tree,  breaks  forth  into  an  incessant  and  musical  bark  that  resounds 
through  the  woods  and  soon  brings  the  huntsman  to  his  side.    The 


THE    SQUIRREL.  357 

next  thing  is  to  find  the  squirrel,  which,  perhaps,  is  spread  flat  out  on 
his  belly,  on  one  of  the  topmost  branches  of  the  tree,  the  color  of 
his  fur  assimilating  so  closely  to  that  of  the  bark  that  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  discover  him.  In  a  few  moments,  however,  the 
hawk-eyed  shooter  catches  sight  of  his  victim  as  he  moves  for 
an  instant  to  hide  himself  more  securely  from  observation ;  the 
sharp  report  of  the  rifle  is  immediately  heard  resounding  afar  in 
the  distance,  and  down  tumbles  the  once  frolicsome  little  squirrel, 
a  lifeless  thing. 

When  pursued  or  watched,  squirrels  instinctively  dodge  around 
the  opposite  side  of  the  tree  occupied  by  the  sportsman,  and,  by 
perseveringly  pursuing  this  course,  will  often  baffle  the  shooter  till 
his  patience  becomes  entirely  exhausted ;  it  is,  therefore,  always 
better  to  go  in  company  when  squirrel-shooting  is  the  sport,  so 
that  either  yourself  or  companion  may  contrive  to  get  sight  of 
every  one  that  takes  to  a  tree. 

BARKING   SQUIRRELS. 

This  original  method  of  killing  squirrels  is  pursued  as  a  pas- 
time by  shooters  inhabiting  districts  of  country  where  these  ani- 
mals are  numerous.  The  whole  secret,  or  rather  art,  of  harking 
squirrels,  is  to  strike  with  the  bullet  immediately  under  that  por- 
tion of  the  limb  upon  which  the  animal  is  stretched  out,  in  such  a 
manner  that  the  blow  will  shiver  the  bark,  and,  killing  the  squirrel 
by  the  concussion,  send  it  whirling  in  the  air  to  the  ground,  "  as 
if  it  had  been  blown  up  by  the  explosion  of  a  powder-magazine." 

This  is  a  very  artistic  way  of  killing  squirrels,  and  many  of  our 
Pennsylvania  hunters  are  very  expert  at  it.  The  skin  is  not  in- 
jured, nor  the  flesh  torn,  by  this  mode  of  shooting. 

FLESH. 

The  flesh  of  several  varieties  of  squirrels  is  most  excellent. 
They  should  be  voided  and  kept  several  days  in  cold  weather. 


o38  lewis's    AMERICAN    SP0RTSMAJ7. 


SCIURUS  MIGRATORIUS.      MIGRATORY  GRAY   SQUIRRELS. 


DIMENSIONS. 

"  An  old  male  in  winter  pelage.  inches,  lines. 

Length  of  head  and  body 12  6 

tail  (vertebrae) 11  0 

"            tail  to  end  of  hair 14  0 

Height  of  ear 0  7 

"            ear  to  end  of  fur 0  9 

Heel  to  end  of  longest  nail 2  6 

Length  of  fur  on  the  back 0  8 

Weight  1  pound  6  ounces." — Audubon. 


LOCALITY. 

This  species  is  the  common  gray  squirrel  of  the  North ;  it  is 
found  in  considerable  abundance  throughout  the  wild  districts  of 
the  Eastern  States,  and  is  very  numerous  in  the  mountainous 
regions  of  Pennsylvania,  but  does  not  exist  farther  south  than  the 
northern  counties  of  Virginia. 

HABITS. 

The  gray  squirrel  has  few  characteristics  different  from  the 
whole  genus  as  before  described. 

They  are  much  sought  after  as  pets  by  our  youth,  as  they  bear 
confinement  with  great  good-humor,  and  soon  become  quite  recon- 
ciled to  a  captive's  life.  Although  mild  and  gentle,  they  are  rather 
uncertain  in  their  disposition,  and  will  at  times  bite  their  keepers 
very  severely.  This  species  was  formerly  so  abundant  in  the 
agricultural  districts  of  Pennsylvania  that  they  committed  great 
depredations  by  invading  the  grainfields.  To  such  an  extent  was 
this  havoc  carried  during  the  period  of  the  early  settlements,  that 
an  ancient  law  existed,  offering  a  reward  of  six  cents  for  every 
squirrel  destroyed;  and  Audubon  informs  us  that  in  the  year 
1749  the  bounty  paid  out  of  the  treasury,  in  consequence  of  this 


THE     SQUIRREL.  359 

enactment,  was  equivalent  to  640,000  squirrels.  TiiiiS  circum- 
stance alone  will  prove  the  amazing  numbers  of  these  active  little 
animals.  Even  at  the  present  time  they  are  quite  abundant  in 
the  less-cultivated  districts  of  Pennsylvania ;  and  it  is  no  uncommon 
thing  for  a  shooter  to  bring  home  a  dozen  or  so,  the  result  of  a 
day's  ramble  through  the  dense  forests. 

THEIR   MIGRATIONS. 

During  some  seasons,  in  particular  localities,  squirrels,  more 
especially  the  Sciurus  migratorius,  appear  to  be  seized  with  an 
extraordinary  desire  to  ramble  or  migrate  from  one  section  of 
country  to  another.  Speaking  of  this  peculiarity  on  the  part  of 
this  species,  Audubon  remarks: — "It  is  stimulated  either  by 
scarcity  of  food,  or  by  some  other  inexplicable  instinct,  to  leave 
its  native  haunts,  and  seek  for  adventures  or  for  food  in  some,  to 
it,  unexplored  portion  of  our  land." 

At  such  times  they  collect  together  in  multitudes  and  move  off 
in  immense  droves ;  nothing  can  stop  them  in  their  onward 
progress,  and  they  never  hesitate  to  swim  the  widest  rivers  which 
intercept  their  march.  Great  numbers  are  necessarily  drowned  in 
these  bold  undertakings,  as  well  as  destroyed  by  their  enemies. 

The  circumstance  of  squirrels  crossing  rivers  during  their 
migration  proves  the  indomitable  energy  of  character  that  these 
active  little  creatures  possess,  as  they  are  not  at  all  partial  to 
water  in  any  form,  and  always  keep  within-doors  during  a  storm ; 
and,  if  they  should  accidentally  wet  or  even  soil  their  feet,  they 
immediately  stop  to  dry  them  by  passing  them  through  their  bushy 
tails  several  times. 

Godman  remarks  on  this  subject: — "-'While  travelling  through 
the  State  of  Ohio,  in  the  autumn  of  1822,  we  had  an  opportunity 
of  witnessing  something  of  this  sort.  Parts  of  the  country  ap- 
peared to  swarm  with  squirrels,  which  Avere  so  numerous  that,  in 
travelling  along  the  highroad,  they  might  be  seen  scampering  in 
every  direction ;  the  woods  and  fields  might  be  truly  said,  in  the 
country-phrase,  to  be  'alive  with  them.'      A  farmer  who  had  a 


360  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

large  field  of  Indian  corn  near  the  road  informed  us  that,  notwith- 
standing the  continued  exertions  of  himself  and  his  two  sons,  he 
feared  he  should  lose  the  greater  part  of  his  crop,  in  addition  to 
his  time  and  the  expense  of  ammunition  used  in  killing  and  scaring 
off  the  little  robbers.  This  man  and  his  sons  frequently  took 
stations  in  different  parts  of  the  field,  and  killed  squirrels  until 
their  guns  became  too  dirty  longer  to  be  used  with  safety :  yet 
they  always  found  on  returning  that  the  squirrels  had  mustered  as 
strongly  as  before." 

The  following  extract,  taken  from  Porter,  will  also  give  a  good 
idea  of  their  numbers  in  Pennsylvania  during  a  season  of  plenty : — 
"These  pleasant  little  fellows  are  at  some  seasons  as  scarce  as 
specie ;  at  other  times  they  migrate  in  millions.  A  few  seasons 
since,  they  pervaded  the  northern  part  of  Pennsylvania  to  such 
an  extent,  and  in  such  numbers,  that  they  did  serious  injury  to 
the  crops ;  and  they  were  slaughtered  as  enemies, — not  popped  over 
humanely  after  the  manner  in  which  we  murder  those  we  love.  The 
squirrels  were  followed  in  due  time  by  stately  droves  of  turkeys ; 
and,  later  in  the  season,  the  rear  was  brought  up  by  scores  of 
very  serious  half-famished-looking  bears.  A  war  of  extermination 
was  declared  against  the  squirrels;  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  that 
many  overt  acts  of  violence  and  bloodshed  towards  them  preceded 
the  formal  declaration  of  hostility.  A  party  of  twenty-four, 
twelve  on  either  side,  all  expert  with  the  rifle,  made  a  day's  hunt, 
from  sunrise  to  sunset, — the  vanquished  (that  is,  whichever  side 
shot  the  fewer  number  of  squirrels)  to  pay  the  forfeit  of  the  best 
supper  the  town  would  afford,  for  all  concerned ;  and  they  slaugh- 
tered fifteen  hundred  and  sixty-eight !  merely  carrying  the  scalps 
to  count  with.  A  few  days  afterwards,  a  party  of  the  same  num- 
ber went  out,  anxious  to  rival  or  eclipse  the  trophies  of  the  first 
day,  after  having  prepared  themselves  well,  with  clean  guns,  rifles 
of  course,  and  all  munition  of  war,  their  sights  better  regulated 
and  their  barrels  better  browned  than  those  of  the  party  who 
reaped  the  first  day's  victory ;  and  they  brought  in  eighteen 
hundred  and  nineteen  !    making  about  seventy-five  apiece.     One 


THE    SQUIRREL.  361 

of  the  party  in  the  last  day's  hunt  shot  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
six,  and  that  under  unfavorable  circumstances,  being  delayed  three 
hours,  during  the  day,  in  getting  a  bullet  up  which  he  could  not 
ram  down." 

Further  on  the  writer  remarks  again: — "We  killed  thirteen  off 
one  hickory-tree ;  and  they  were  busily  coming  and  going  to  and 
from  it  all  the  time,  perfectly  regardless  of  what  was  going  on. 
All  this  immense  importation  of  squirrels  were  either  gray  or  black, 
and  not  one  single  fox-squirrel  (which  is  common  in  Eastern  Penn- 
sylvania) was  to  be  seen.  During  the  whole  afternoon  it  was 
nothing  but  loading  and  firing,  until  our  rifle-barrels  became  so  hot 
that  we  had  to  lay  them  down  occasionally  to  cool.  The  myriads 
of  squirrels  that  are  to  be  found  on  a  few  acres  of  favorable  feed- 
ing-ground during  the  season  of  plenty  is  almost  incredible  to  those 
who  have  never  witnessed  it.  All  the  wholesale  slaughter  that  was 
made  during  the  season  did  not  sensibly  diminish  their  numbers ; 
for  the  rear  of  their  countless  army  poured  in  and  filled  up  the 
places  of  the  slain  faster  than  were  closed  the  thinned  ranks  of 
Napoleon  on  the  field  of  Waterloo." 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

MISCELLANEOUS   HINTS. 

USE   OF  GLOVES. 

LL  sportsmen  whose  occupation  or  pro- 
fession makes  it  desirable  that  they  should 
have  white  and  smooth  hands  (and  there 
are  but  few  gentlemen  whose  employments 
do  not  require  this)  ought,  ex  necessitate 
rerum,  to  wear  gloves  when  shooting,  as 
nothing,  to  our  eyes,  looks  more  outtSf  if 
not  vulgar,  than  a  coarse,  scratched,  and 
scarred  hand.  Not  only  from  time  im- 
memorial with  the  polished  communities  of  the  Old  World,  but  even 
among  the  half-civilized  inhabitants  of  other  less-favored  climes,  a 
small,  smooth,  and  delicate  hand  was,  and  is  even  at  the  present 
day,  considered  a  special  sign  of  nobility,  or,  at  all  events,  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  most  striking  features  or  tests  of  gentle 
breeding,  education,  and  refinement.  This  feeling,  to  a  certain 
extent,  exists  even  in  our  country ;  and  every  intelligent  sportsman, 

therefore,  will  understand  our  motives  for  calling  his  attention 

362 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  363 

to  what  may  be  considered,  by  the  mass,  a  very  trite  and  silly 
matter.  However,  no  one,  we  imagine,  even  among  this  class  of 
fault-finders,  independently  of  the  mere  looks  of  the  thing,  could 
ofier  any  particular  objection  to  the  protecting  of  his  hands  from 
the  rude  contact  of  the  piercing  thorns  and  poisonous  briers  that 
overrun  our  forests. 

Old,  half-worn  kid  gloves,  that  fit  snugly  but  do  not  bind  the 
hand,  are  the  kind  best  adapted  to  this  purpose.  If  the  covering 
on  the  dexter-finger  should  interfere  with  the  delicacy  of  touch  so 
necessary  for  pulling  the  trigger,  a  portion  of  it  should  be  removed. 
It  will  also  be  necessary  oftentimes  to  relieve  the  stricture  of  the 
other  fingers  by  making  inciSxons  lengthwise  into  the  gloves. 

GRASPING   THE   BARREL. 

Guns  are  now  made  so  light,  and  withal  so  beautifully  balanced, 
that  there  no  longer  remains  any  necessity,  when  presenting  the 
piece,  of  stretching  the  left  hand  up  the  barrel  to  the  extreme 
point  of  the  stock ;  but  it  should  rather  be  grasped  close  to  the 
guard,  so  that  the  hand  may  be  protected  as  much  as  possible,  in 
the  event  of  its  bursting,  from  some  of  those  untoward  accidents 
which  occasionally  occur  even  in  the  hands  of  the  most  skilful.  This 
mode  of  holding  the  gun  was  adopted  some  few  years  back  by 
English  sportsmen,  on  account  of  the  frequency  of  such  accidents, 
owing  entirely  to  the  inferior  manufacture  of  the  barrels  for  small- 
arms.  The  bursting  of  barrels  in  England,  however,  at  the  present 
time,  is  a  very  unusual  occurrence,  owing  to  the  improvements  in 
the  arts,  or  perhaps  more  to  the  enactments  of  Parliament  regu- 
lating these  things ;  still,  there  are  a  great  many  worthless  instru- 
ments imported  into  this  country  from  abroad,  which  are  constantly 
falling  into  the  hands  of  every  schoolboy,  whose  first  lesson,  there- 
fore, in  the  use  of  the  gun,  should  be  the  proper  mode  of  present- 
ing it,  as  there  is  no  doubt  but  the  hand  is  far  more  secure  in  this 
position  than  in  any  other.  AVe  have  heard  of  several  guns  burst- 
ing during  the  last  year  or  two,  more  particularly  during  the  reed- 
bird  season,  and  several  of  the  parties  escaped  without  the  slightest 


364  lewis's  amekican  sportsman. 

injury,  owing  to  this  manner  of  holding  the  piece.  If  the  hand, 
however,  had  been  extended  along  the  whole  length  of  the  stock, 
as  formerly  was  the  practice,  we  are  satisfied,  from  actual  examina- 
tion of  the  shattered  weapons,  two  or  three  of  them  would  have  lost 
nearly  the  whole  hand,  and  some  of  them  perhaps  have  died  of 
tetanus,  brought  on  by  the  severity  of  their  wounds. 

This  plan  of  holding  the  gun  cannot  be  so  easily  adopted  by 
duck-shooters,  as  the  length  and  weight  of  the  barrels  preclude  the 
feasibility  of  rightly  balancing  the  piece  with  the  proper  degree  of 
steadiness  without  extending  the  hand  farther  along  the  barrel 
than  the  point  of  the  guard. 

This  is  rather  unfortunate,  as  we  know  of  no  kind  of  shooting 
in  our  country  that  is  attended  with  so  many  distressing  accidents 
as  the  pursuit  of  wild  fowl ;  and  the  most  of  these  casualties  arise 
from  this  one  circumstance, — the  bursting  of  the  barrels,  owing  to 
heavy  charging.  We  would  therefore  caution  our  friends  against 
the  use  of  a  common  duck-gun,  and  would  also  advise  them  to  be 
particular  in  loading,  as  well  as  in  keeping  their  person  out  of  the 
bursting-range  of  a  suspicious  weapon  in  the  hands  of  some  one  of 
their  more  reckless  companions,  who  perhaps  prides  himself  on 
being  knocked  over  at  every  discharge  of  his  piece.  If  the  gun 
is  not  already  too  heavy  for  comfort,  it  may  be  rendered  more 
manageable  by  loading  the  butt  with  metal,  so  as  to  make  it 
balance  in  the  hands  with  more  ease. 

COCKING   THE   GUN. 

In  most  kinds  of  shooting  we  are  in  favor  of  carrying  the  gun 
cocked  in  preference  to  half-cocked,  for  the  following  reasons : — In 
partridge-shooting,  as  before  stated,  the  most  of  our  hunting  is 
done  in  the  thick  coverts,  and  when  the  birds  are  scattered  about 
it  is  impossible  to  tell  where  or  when  they  will  get  up,  as  the  dog 
is  lost  to  view  one-half  of  his  time,  and  the  first  intimation  we  have 
of  his  position,  although  within  a  few  rods  of  us,  is  the  whirring  of 
a  bird  from  under  our  very  nose,  and  of  which  we  only  catch  u 
glimpse  in  the  distance  as  it  rushes  through  the  thick  foliage  or 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  365 

hanging  vines.  This  opportune  moment  must  be  instantly  caught 
at  by  the  sportsman,  or  the  game  escapes ;  and  we  are  convinced 
that  no  one,  no  matter  how  expert  or  ready  he  may  be,  can  find 
sufficient  time  to  cock  his  gun  and  fire  in  this  short  space  of  time. 
In  snipe  and  woodcock-shooting  it  is  also  better  to  carry  the  gun 
cocked,  as  the  game  is  so  uncertain  in  its  movements.  And  on  the 
score  of  prudence,  we  would  apprehend  more  danger  from  a  com- 
panion cocking  his  gun  on  the  springing  of  a  bird  behind  him  than 
if  he  were  to  have  the  piece  already  prepared  to  fire,  as  in  the 
hurry  and  excitement  of  the  moment  he  might  not  pull  the  cock 
sufficiently  far  back  to  make  it  catch  the  tumbler,  and  the  conse- 
quence of  this  omission  would  be  the  discharge  of  the  piece  on  a 
level  with  one's  head,  or  perhaps  the  death  of  a  valuable  dog. 

The  gun,  however,  as  before  stated,  should  always  be  held  in 
such  a  position  that,  no  matter  when  or  how  exploded,  its  contents 
can  do  no  mischief  save  the  killing  of  a  bird ;  and  we  would  be 
loath  to  shoot  in  company  a  second  time  with  any  one  who  seemed 
thoughtless  or  hardy  upon  this  subject,  as  life  is  too  precious  to  be 
placed  in  jeopardy  on  every  shooting-excursion. 

WADDING. 

Patent  wadding,  or  rather  patent  wads,  have  come  so  generally 
into  use,  and  are  so  well  knovm  to  all  our  shooters,  that  it  would 
seem  a  waste  of  time  to  say  any  thing  on  the  subject.  These  wads 
are  made  of  a  species  of  thick,  elastic,  porous  pasteboard,  and  are 
numbered  from  one  to  twenty,  so  as  to  fit  the  bore  of  every  de- 
scription of  gun.  They  are  put  up  in  boxes  of  from  one  hundred 
to  three  hundred,  and  are  very  convenient,  compact,  and  serviceable. 

Those  living  at  a  distance  from  the  city  had  better  always  be 
provided  with  a  "punch"  for  cutting  wads,  so  that  in  case  of  need, 
or  for  economy's  sake,  they  can  be  cut  out  of  an  old  hat  or  stiff 
pasteboard  or  leather. 

If  the  *' punch"  be  of  good  metal,  a  thick,  heavy  piece  of  lead 
with  a  smooth  surface  can  be  used  to  cut  the  waddings  on,  without 
injury  to  the  instrument ;  a  piece  of  hard-grained  wood,  however, 


366  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

will  answer  the  same  purpose,  and  perhaps  be  more  easily  obtained. 
There  is  a  species  of  metallic  wads  sold  by  the  gunsmiths  for  the 
purpose  of  cleansing  the  gun  when  clogged  during  an  excursion ; 
they  are  made  large  for  the  bore  of  the  barrel  for  which  they  are 
intended  to  be  employed,  and,  as  they  fit  very  tight,  are  rammed 
home  with  some  degree  of  force.  As  they  are  pushed  down  the 
barrel,  they  necessarily  scrape  from  the  inside  all  the  dirt  and 
leading  before  them,  which,  being  thus  collected  together  in  a  mass 
on  the  top  of  the  powder,  is  expelled  at  the  next  discharge  of  the 
piece.  These  wads  will  be  found  very  useful  under  some  circum- 
stances, and  will  prevent,  in  some  degree,  the  barrels  from  be- 
coming uncomfortably  clogged  or  leaded,  although  they  cannot 
relieve  the  chambers  at  all,  which,  by-the-by,  is  the  most  important 
point  to  be  cleansed.  Nothing,  however,  will  effectually  do  this 
save  the  free  use  of  water. 

There  are  various  other  kinds  of  wadding  to  be  obtained  at  the 
gunsmith's,  all  of  which,  however,  we  consider  inferior, —  at  all 
events,  no  better  than  the  common  patent  paper  wads  in  general 
use,  which  are  cheap,  convenient,  and  safe. 

The  wadding  over  the  powder  should  be  forced  down  with  con- 
siderably more  violence  than  the  one  placed  over  the  shot,  so  as  to 
drive  the  powder  into  the  chambers  and  nipple-hole  and  mould  it 
into  a  compact  form.  If  the  wadding  over  the  shot  be  forced  down 
too  hard,  there  will  be  a  considerable  recoil  when  the  piece  is  dis- 
charged; this  of  itself  will  soon  teach  the  novice  better.  When 
loading  one  barrel,  never  put  the  ramrod  into  the  other ;  for  if  a 
shot  or  two  by  chance  should  slip  down  on  the  side  of  the  rod,  it 
will  be  very  apt  to  become  wedged  in  when  we  attempt  to  withdraw 
it.  We  have  known  this  accident  to  happen  more  than  once ;  and 
we  can  assure  our  friends  that  if  it  should  occur  with  them  they 
will  be  bothered  not  a  little,  more  particularly  if  they  do  not  know 
the  proper  plan  to  pursue  in  the  dilemma.  As  soon  as  we  dis- 
cover that  a  ramrod  is  thus  wedged  in  the  barrel,  we  must  arrest 
our  efforts  to  draw  it  out  by  main  force,  as't'nis  is  impossible;  we 
should  turn  the  muzzle  downwards,  and   press  the  rod  on   the 


MISCELLAXEOUS    HINTS.  367 

charge  as  forcibly  as  possible,  and  the  shot  will  disengage  itself 
from  the  sides  of  the  barrel  and  roll  out.  This  will  not  so  easily 
take  place  if  we  have  been  tugging  and  pulling  at  the  rod  suffi- 
ciently long  to  mash  the  shot  up  into  a  flattened  mass ;  but  even 
then  it  is  the  only  plan  to  be  pursued.  It  will  be  necessary,  in 
some  cases,  to  give  the  ramrod  a  few  gentle  taps  with  a  small 
stick  of  wood  to  make  it  go  down  far  enough  to  disengage  itself 
from  the  shot. 

When  one  barrel  is  discharged,  it  will  be  more  prudent  when 
loading  again  to  try  the  ramrod  on  the  wadding  of  the  other  bar- 
rel, as  the  concussion  of  the  first  discharge  is  apt  to  loosen,  if  not 
move,  the  wad  a  trifle  from  the  shot ;  and  if  this  were  the  case 
there  would  be  a  greater  tendency  in  the  barrel  to  burst  at  the 
next  fire.  We  have  never  found  that  the  concussion  from  one 
single  discharge  was  sufficient  to  loosen  and  throw  the  wad  off  the 
shot  of  the  other  barrel  far  enough  to  do  any  injury ;  nor  do  we 
think  that  such  could  be  the  case  with  a  small  fowling-piece,  al- 
though it  might  happen  with  a  weapon  of  much  larger  calibre, — a 
duck-gun,  for  example,  particularly  if  slightly  rammed  and  heavily 
charged.  We,  however,  for  prudence'  sake,  are  in  the  habit  of 
sounding  the  loaded  barrel  after  every  discharge,  provided  the 
two  are  not  fired  in  rapid  succession. 

I  say  that  I  am  accustomed  to  sound  the  other  barrel  for  pru- 
dence sake,  and  would  recommend  all  my  friends  to  do  the  same, 
as  it  is  well  to  accustom  one's  self  to  this  practice ;  otherwise  we 
may  not  think  of  it,  even  after  firing  the  right-hand  barrel  four  or 
five  times  before  discharging  the  left,  as  all  young  shooters  and 
even  old  are  too  apt  to  do ;  and  in  this  case  the  repeated  concussions 
may  have  moved  the  wad  up  the  barrel  several  inches,  which  cir- 
cumstance might  occasion  the  bursting  of  the  gun,  owing  to  the 
thinness  of  the  barrel  as  it  nears  the  muzzle.  At  all  events,  as 
said  before,  an  "ounce  of  prevention  is  worth  a  pound  of  cure." 

This  accident,  however,  is  much  less  liable  to  occur  than  one 
might  at  first  suppose,  more  particularly  after  the  barrel  has  been 
used  a  few  times,  as  the  fouling  and  leading  of  the  gun  are  always 


3()8  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

greatei  just  at  the  point,  or  rather  a  little  above,  where  the  wad  is 
placed  over  the  shot,  and  of  course  assists  very  materially  in  keep- 
ing the  charge  home. 

We  have  generally  been  in  the  habit  of  slightly  anointing  our 
wads,  before  using,  with  sweet-oil;  it  certainly  prevents  the  bar- 
rels from  so  quickly  becoming  foul,  and  may  be  of  service  other- 
wise. The  best  plan  to  do  this  is  to  empty  a  portion  of  the  wads 
out  of  a  full  box,  and  then  pour  a  few  drops  of  oil  on  the  remain- 
der and  shake  them  up  thoroughly  for  a  few  moments,  when  their 
edges  will  be  found  pretty  generally  anointed.* 

We  were  induced  this  season  to  make  a  trial  of  some  French 
wads,  made  of  a  species  of  coarse  e\a.stic  felt,  covered  with  a  thin, 
partially-glazed  white  paper,  but  w^ere  not  pleased  with  them  for 
several  reasons.  Firstly,  the  felting  was  not  sufficiently  stiJS'  to 
prevent  the  wad  from  turning  occasionally  in  the  barrel  while 
being  pushed  down.  Secondly,  the  felt  being  of  a  coarse,  spongy, 
elastic  consistency,  and  withal  nearly  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick, 
it  required  some  experience  to  decide  exactly  when  it  was  driven 
home  on  top  of  the  powder ;  and  we  more  than  once  inadvertently 
rammed  the  powder  entirely  too  tight,  and  a  smart  recoil  was  the 
result.  Thirdly,  the  paper  that  covers  each  side  of  the  wad,  much 
to  our  astonishment,  has  a  slight  coat  of  glazing  on  it,  which  rubs 
or  pet-Is  off,  and  not  only  dirties  the  gun,  but  really  scratches  the 
surface  of  the  barrels.  This  paper,  which  adds  considerably  to 
the  stiffness  of  the  wad, — in  fact,  almost  constitutes  its  whole  firm- 
ness,— is  merely  stuck  on  the  felt  by  a  weak  glue  or  paste ;  and  the 
consequence  is  that  it  gets  loose  in  the  pocket  and  drops  off,  there- 
by rendering  the  wad  perfectly  unmanageable.  We  might  urge 
other  objections,  but  we  suppose  the  above  will  be  sufficient  to  in- 
duce our  readers  to  avoid  them. 

The  old  style  of  paper  wadding  is  entirely  inadmissible  in  tbis 
age  of  improvement ;  and  in  some  sections  of  country  the  farmers 
v,'ill  not  permit  any  one  to  shoot  over  their  grounds  who  makes  use 

*  Wads  can  be  purchased  with  their  edges  already  anointed. 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  369 

of  paper  wadding,  for  fear  of  setting  fire  to  the  brushwood,  or 
parched  grass,  during  a  drought. 


The  patent  washer,  with  all  its  various  paraphernalia,  is  a  very 
useful  article,  and  should  never  be  omitted  from  the  sportsman's 
catalogue.  It  is  not  only  useful  for  washing  the  gun,  but  may  be 
used  often  very  advantageously  in  the  field  for  cleaning  or  rather 
unloading  the  barrels  which  have  become  clogged  up  by  repeated 
firing.  The  instrument  to  be  attached  to  the  washer  for  loosening 
the  particles  of  lead  adhering  to  the  sides  of  the  barrels  is  called 
a  brushy  and,  being  made  of  brass  wire,  or  of  some  other  metal 
softer  than  that  of  the  gun,  it  may  be  used  with  perfect  freedom, 
without  fear  of  injuring  the  barrels,  as  some  erroneously  suppose, 
by  scratching  them.  If  the  sportsman  be  accompanied  to  the  field 
by  a  marker,  we  would  advise  by  all  means  to  send  along  with  him 
a  patent  washing-rod  and  a  wire  brush ;  in  fact,  the  weight  is  so 
trifling,  and  the  inconvenience  of  carrying  the  instrument  when 
separated  into  its  three  distinct  parts  is  so  very  inconsiderable, 
that  we  would  suggest  that  every  shooter  who  goes  out  for  a  regular 
day's  sport  should  slip  one  into  his  pocket,  and  its  opportune  ser- 
vice some  time  or  another  will  amply  repay  him  for  all  his  trouble. 

POWDER-FLASKS. 

It  is  useless  to  spend  time  in  the  consideration  of  all  the  various 

kinds  of  powder-flasks  now  and  formerly  in  use,  but  we  will  merely 

remark  that  those  made  of  copper,  zinc,  or  German  silver,  and  so 

arranged  that  the  portion  of  powder  necessary  for  a  load  is  entirely 

cut  off  when  being  introduced  into  the  barrel  from  the  mass  of 

powder  remaining  in  the  flask,  are  the  only  kind  of  instruments 

24 


370  LEWIS'^S    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

which  are  recognised  at  present,  and  very  properly  so,  as  many 
terrible  accidents  have  happened  from  the  use  of  those  of  inferior 
construction.  The  explosion  of  powder-flasks  is  not  an  unusual 
circumstance,  but  we  may  say  a  matter  of  weekly  occurrence, 
during  the  season  of  reed-birds  and  blackbirds  in  our  neighborhood. 
These  explosions  are  owing  entirely  to  the  inferior  quality  of  many 
of  the  flasks  that  are  sold  in  our  city.  The  springs  soon  get  out 
of  order,  and  the  connection  between  the  mass  and  the  intended 
charge  is  no  longer  complete ;  and,  if  the  gun  be  overheated,  as  is 
frequently  the  case  in  quick  shooting,  or,  what  is  more  probable,  if 
a  particle  of  ignited  wad  should  remain  in  the  gun,  an  explosion  is 
sure  to  take  place  and  the  flask  be  blown  from  the  grasp  into  a 
thousand  pieces,  perhaps  carrying  a  finger  or  two  along  with  it,  and 
otherwise  disfiguring  and  dangerously  mutilating  the  sportsman. 
We  have  been  present  at  two  accidents  of  this  kind,  and  hope 
never  to  see  the  like  again ;  in  one  case,  two  fingers  and  a  portion 
of  the  thumb  were  carried  away,  the  side  of  the  face  laid  open  from 
the  temple  down  to  the  corner  of  the  mouth,  and  the  right  eye  torn 
almost  entirely  from  its  socket.  In  both  instances  the  flasks  were 
out  of  order,  and  the  connection  between  the  charger  and  the  body 
of  the  flask  was  very  incomplete. 

The  flask  we  use  is  the  one  invented,  we  believe,  by  Mr.  Sykes, 
an  Englishman,  and  is  the  only  one  we  consider  safe  beyond  a 
doubt.  It  is  a  little  more  troublesome  at  first,  perhaps ;  but  the 
hand  will  soon  become  expert  in  the  management  of  it,  and  then 
we  are  satisfied  that  no  sportsman  would  desire  to  use  any  other 
kind,  seeing  the  perfect  safety  and  convenience  of  the  invention. 
As  the  construction  of  this  flask  will  be  better  understood  from  a 
draAving  than  by  any  description  which  we  can  give  of  it,  we  pre- 
sent one  on  the  following  page. 

This  flask  costs  but  a  trifle,  if  any,  more  than  the  other  kind, 
and  is  the  most  perfect  of  all  in  its  construction.  It  is  hardly 
necessary  to  describe  the  method  of  its  operating,  as  every  one  at 
a  glance  of  the  drawing  will  understand  it.  The  neck  of  the 
charger  should  be  so  formed  that,  by  sliding  upon  itself,  two  or 


ISCELLANEOUS    HINTS. 


371 


three  different  quantities  of  powder  can  be  measured  out,  to  suit 
the  capacities  of  different  guns.  The  size  of  the  flask  must  of 
course  be  regulated  bj  the  amount  of  shooting  to  be  done.  The 
one  we  use  will  hold  very  nearly  a  pound  of  powder;  and  we 
doubt  very  much  whether  these  flasks  were  ever  made  of  a  larger 
size,  except  when  particularly  ordered  for  wild-fowl  shooting,  or 
other  purposes  of  a  similar  nature.  We  are,  however,  in  favor  of 
a  small  flask,  for  convenience  as  well  as  safety,  even  if  we  are 
forced  to  replenish  it  several  times  during  a  day's  shooting.  We 
seldom  or  never  more  than  half  fill  ours ;  but  when  we  have  no 
marker  along  to  carry  extra  ammunition,  and  hope  to  enjoy  a  fine 
day's  sport,  we  are  tempted  to  fill  it  to  the  brim.  The  dampness, 
or  rather  the  salt  air,  of  the  sea-shore,  is  very  apt  to  disarrange 
the  spring  or  screw  of  these  flasks,  and  it  consequently  requires 
our  particular  attention  ;  a  little  oil  or  mercurial  ointment  applied 
to  it  will  prevent  the  accumulation  of  rust. 


ONE  BARREL  USED  MORE  THAN  THE  OTHER. 

The  right  barrel,  in  the  hands  of  all  sportsmen,  is  used  more 
frequently  than  the  left,  and  consequently  in  old  guns  is  generally 
found  to  be  far  thinner  than  the  left.  This  habit  ought  to  be 
avoided  as  much  as  possible,  and  the  novice  should  accustom  him- 
self to  pull  the  trigger  of  the  left-hand  barrel  with  the  same 
facility  that  he  does  the  right. 


372  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


SHOT-BAGS   OR   POUCHES. 

The  old  style  of  shot-bag,  strung  around  the  neck,  with  its  brass 
charger  attached,  is  entirely  ruled  out  of  the  catalogue  of  sport- 
ing apparatus,  and  is  now  seldom  seen,  except  in  the  hands  of 
some  old-fashioned  country  sporting  friend,  who  still  fondly  clings 
to  the  antiquated  notions  and  prejudices  of  his  forefathers.  This 
bag  has  given  place  to  the  more  convenient  and  more  likely-look- 
ing leather  pouch,  which  can  be  stowed  away  in  the  pocket,  and, 
though  containing  several  pounds  of  shot,  lies  so  snugly  in  its 
place  as  scarcely  to  be  felt  about  the  person.  The  charger  at- 
tached to  it  is  made  of  brass  or  steel ;  the  latter  is  preferable,  and 
we  will  explain  in  a  moment  our  reasons  for  this  preference.  The 
charger  attached  to  the  mouth  of  the  pouch  has  a  spring  handle  to 
it,  which  governs  the  movements  of  the  two  small  sliding-doors  that 
control  the  flow  of  shot  from  the  pouch  into  the  gun,  or  rather 
measures  out  the  proper  quantity  for  a  load.  When  this  spring  is 
pressed  upon  and  the  pouch  everted,  with  the  mouth  of  the  charger 
inserted  into  the  muzzle  of  the  piece,  the  forward  slide  is  raised  up 
and  the  inner  slide  is  pressed  down ;  the  shot  consequently  between 
these  two  slides  enters  the  gun ;  the  finger  now  being  raised  from 
the  spring  or  handle,  the  forward  or  upper  slide  resumes  its  position, 
and  the  inner  floodgate  is  open  for  the  egress  of  the  shot  when 
the  pouch  is  everted. 

The  construction  of  this  pouch  is  so  simple  and  well  known  that 
we  fear  lest  we  have  wasted  time  in  the  description.  What  we 
wished  to  say  in  reference  to  the  superiority  of  the  steel  charger 
over  the  brass  one  is,  however,  somewhat  connected  with  this 
description,  and  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  that  the  brass 
charger,  being  made  of  a  much  softer  metal,  is  very  apt  to  get  out 
of  order  from  rough  usage  or  from  catching  in  the  bushes  and 
briers.  We  on  one  occasion  were  greatly  annoyed  and  incon- 
venienced by  this  very  accident,  and  therefore  are  particular  in 
dwelling  upon  it.  In  getting  over  a  fence  in  somewhat  of  a  hurry, 
the  top  of  the  charger  struck   against  the  upper  rail,  and  the 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  373 

handle  became  so  bent  from  the  violence  of  the  blow  that  neither 
of  the  slides  would  work,  and  we  were  forced  to  pour  the  shot  into 
our  hand  and  guess  at  the  proper  load  during  the  balance  of  the 
day,  greatly  to  our  annoyance. 

If  the  charger  had  been  made  of  steel,  this  could  not  have 
happened. 

The  size  or  capacity  of  the  shot-bag  will  of  course  correspond 
to  that  of  the  powder.  The  slides  attached  to  the  charger  are  so 
constructed  that  they  can  be  adjusted  to  regulate  the  flow  of  shot 
to  any  desired  quantity.  We  on  one  occasion  lost  our  powder- 
flask  from  our  pocket,  when  a  long  distance  from  quarters  and  sur- 
rounded by  birds,  and,  to  make  the  matter  more  provoking,  imme- 
diately after  encountered  a  large  covey,  into  which  we  determined 
to  fire  a  raking  cross-shot,  in  hope  of  killing  several  birds,  by  way 
of  making  up  our  count  and  thus  solacing  ourselves  under  the 
afflicting  loss ;  but,  strange  to  say,  after  fixing  ourselves  in  the 
very  best  position  for  a  raking  shot,  we  banged  away  and  did  not 
bring  down  a  single  partridge.  Since  this  mishap,  we  have  been 
in  the  habit  of  attaching  by  a  small  green  worsted  cord  both  our 
powder-flask  and  shot-pouch  to  our  person.  The  buttonhole  of 
the  game-pocket,  on  either  side,  will  be  found  the  most  convenient 
place  to  attach  the  cord.  When  going  through  thick  cover  with  our 
powder  and  shot  secured  in  this  way,  we  feel  perfectly  easy  about 
them,  as  we  know  that  if  by  any  chance  they  should  be  pulled  out 
of  their  place  we  would  immediately  feel  them  dangling  from  our 
person  long  before  the  cord  could  be  broken. 

PERCUSSION    CAPS. 

Great  quantities  of  French  and  German  caps  are  consumed  in 
America,  not  because  they  are  superior  to  the  English,  but  on  the 
score  of  cheapness.  These  caps  are  generally  inferior  to  the 
English,  and  they  can  be  had  of  excellent  quality  by  paying  a 
little  extra  for  them ;  but  even  then  they  are  not  equal  to  those 
made  by  the  celebrated  manufacturers  of  England. 

The  English  caps  of  approved  make  are  much  larger  and  stronger 


874  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

than  the  best  French,  and  when  exploded  split  with  an  even  and 
regular  fracture,  without  flying,  as  is  ofien  the  case  with  the 
highest-priced  French  caps.  Nothing  is  more  annoying,  and  even 
dangerous,  than  the  use  of  caps  made  of  metal  so  thin  and  brittle 
that  at  every  displosion  they  are  torn  into  several  small  pieces, 
which  fly  about  into  the  hands,  and  even  cut  the  face  or  perhaps 
lodge  in  the  eye.  Several  of  our  acquaintances  have  had  narrow 
escapes  from  losing  their  eyes  by  the  use  of  these  miserable  arti- 
cles, and  we  ourself  have  had  our  hands  cut  more  than  once  when 
forced  to  use  them.  • 

The  composition  of  fulminating  powder  now  used  in  caps  is  not 
as  corrosive  in  its  properties  as  formerly,  and  is,  therefore,  less 
objectionable.  At  first,  large  quantities  of  sulphur  were  used  in 
the  manufacture  of  cap-powder,  which  of  course  made  the  com- 
position very  corroding  to  every  portion  of  the  gun  it  came  in 
contact  with ;  at  present,  the  tubes  or  chambers  of  the  fowling- 
piece  suffer  but  little  from  this  drug,  as  its  use  has  been  almost 
entirely  abandoned.  When  we  say  "abandoned,"  we  do  not  wish 
to  be  understood  that  this  corrosive  powder  is  no  longer  employed 
in  the  manufacture  of  cheap  caps,  for  such  is  not  the  case ;  but, 
on  the  contrary,  nearly  all  those  caps  which  come  from  the  Con- 
tinent, both  German  and  French,  are  made  with  a  mixture  of 
chlorate  of  potash,  sulphur,  and  charcoal,  and  are  therefore  hurtful 
to  every  portion  of  the  gun  they  come  in  contact  with.  The  filling 
of  the  caps  with  this  kind  of  powder  is  the  principal  reason  why 
they  can  be  sold  so  cheap.  The  best  English  caps,  and  even  those 
of  a  far  inferior  make,  are  filled  with  fulminating  powder  made 
from  the  action  of  nitric  acid  upon  mercury.  This  composition  is 
far  more  expensive  than  the  other,  but  is  far  superior  in  many 
points.  In  the  first  place,  it  does  not  corrode  the  fowling-pieces ; 
in  the  next  place,  it  does  not  attract  moisture  like  the  other,  and 
will  explode  even  after  being  in  the  water  for  several  hours.  It 
detonates  with  more  ease  but  greater  force  than  the  other,  and  is 
not  affected  by  a  damp  atmosphere. 

Gold  and  silver,  when  exposed  to  the  action  of  strong  acids, 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  875 

will  also  produce  a  powerful  fulminating  powder,  but  of  course 
would  be  too  expensive  for  general  use,  even  if  that  obtained  from 
mercury  did  not  answer.  Caps,  no  matter  how  good  they  may  be, 
should  be  kept  free  from  moisture ;  for  if  once  wet,  or  even  damp, 
if  not  of  very  superior  make,  they  are  of  course  rendered  more  or 
less  uncertain  in  their  action.  They  should  fit  the  nipple  exactly ; 
for,  if  they  be  too  small,  they  will  be  apt  to  fly  off  when  the  first 
barrel  is  discharged,  or  drop  off  while  carrying  the  piece ;  neither 
will  they  always  explode  on  the  first  blow  of  the  hammer  if  they 
are  not  well  down  upon  the  pivot. 

Walker's  caps  are  considered  the  best  article  imported  for  gene- 
ral use.  They  are  put  up  in  small  round  tin  boxes,  and  numbered 
in  accordance  with  their  size.  An  English  author  very  justly 
remarks  of  these  particular  caps: — "I  have  used  several  thousands 
of  them,  and  never  found  one  fail."  Such  has  been  our  experience, 
and  we  recommend  them  above  all  others. 

Percussion  caps  entirely  water-proof  can  also  be  had.  They 
were  introduced  several  years  since,  and  for  some  kinds  of  shoot- 
ing are  very  necessary  and  serviceable.  These  caps  are  simply 
protected  from  the  effects  of  moisture  and  even  water  itself  by  a 
species  of  impermeable  varnish ;  those  of  superior  make  may  re- 
main in  water  for  many  hours  without  being  in  the  least  injured. 
For  wild-fowl  shooting  they  possess  incalculable  advantages  over 
the  ordinary  cap,  and  a  stock  of  them  should  be  laid  in,  in  antici- 
pation of  a  prolonged  shooting-excursion  in  the  wilds  of  the 
West.* 


*  A  slip  from  the  New  York  Spirit  of  the  Times : — 

SUBSTITUTE   FOE   PEKCUSSION   CAPS. 

A  London  paper  says: — "Mr.  Pepper  is  lecturing  at  the  Polytechnic  on  a  new 
composition  recently  discovered  by  Messrs.  Winniwarter  and  Gersheim,  of  Vienna, 


376  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

CAP-CHARGERS. 

Cap-chargers  are  seldom  or  never  used  by  sportsmen,  it  being  so 
much  more  expedient  to  carry  the  caps  in  a  side-pocket  appro- 
priated to  that  purpose.  These  chargers,  however,  are  very  inge- 
nious and  pretty  instruments,  and  enable  the  shooter  to  tell  at  a 
glance  how  many  shots  he  has  fired  in  the  course  of  a  day's  ex- 
cursion, which  is  often  interesting  and  instructive. 

There  are  several  diiferent  kinds  of  cap-chargers  in  use.  Some 
are  made  round,  some  long ;  the  former  are  the  more  preferable, 
as  they  are  more  convenient,  not  only  to  carry,  but  to  handle. 
There  is  also  a  variety  of  charger  invented  with  a  dial-plate 
attached,  the  indicator  of  which  exhibits  at  a  glance  the  number 
of  shots  fired. 

THE  NIPPLE,   OR   PIVOT. 

The  orifice  of  the  nipple  should  be  large  and  countersunk,  so 
that  the  contents  of  the  cap,  when  ignited,  may  be  easily  driven 
into  the  chamber  of  the  gun;  when  the  pivot-hole  or  barrel  is 
large,  it  is  far  less  liable  to  foul  or  choke  up,  which  is  frequently 
the  case  when  very  small.  The  exterior  edge  should  be  rounded 
off,  so  that  the  cap,  when  struck  by  the  hammer,  may  be  exploded 
without  cutting.  Pivots  are  made  either  plain  or  with  small  rings 
running   around   them,  somewhat   similar  to  the  threading  of  a 


"patent  gun-primers,"  which  claim  to  supersede  the  ordinary  percussion  cap. 
The  peculiar  features  of  these  "gun-primers"  are — first,  the  absence  of  a  metallic 
coat  or  cover,  and  their  uniform  explosive  power ;  the  materials  being  so  amalga- 
mated that  no  residue  is  left  behind  after  detonation.  The  materials  are  composed  of 
fulminating  mercury,  chlorate  of  potash,  and  sulphide  of  antimony, — the  dangerous 
properties  of  the  ingredients  being  subdued  or  diminished  by  the  application  of 
collodion,  which  is  used  as  a  cement.  The  primers  are  manufactured  in  various 
shapes,  and  the  composition  is  moulded  into  any  required  form,  dried,  and  then 
covered  with  a  film  of  varnish  and  a  bronze-powder.  Thus,  whatever  may  be  the 
shape  of  the  pellet,  it  is  entirely  formed  of  detonating  material,  and  the  use  of  the 
ordinary  copper  cap  is  wholly  dispensed  with,  whilst  the  collodion  acts  as  a  water- 
proof varnish,  and  protects  the  component  parts  from  the  action  of  moisture. 
The  invention  is  one  which  must  claim  the  attention  of  the  military  and  naval 
authorities. 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  377 

screw;  this  arrangement  is  intended  to  hold  the  cap  more  secure 
when  placed  upon  it. 

THE   COCK,  STRIKER,  OR   HAMMER. 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  centre  of  the  hammer- 
head should  fall  directly  on  the  centre  of  the  nipple,  and  thus,  by 
an  even,  regular  blow,  explode  the  cap ;  if  slovenly  made  in  this 
respect,  a  second  blow  will  be  very  often  requisite  before  ignition 
takes  place. 

The  head  of  the  striker  should  always  be  made  tubular, — that  is, 
surrounded  with  a  rim^  guard,  or  nose;  and  this  nose  should  never 
be  made  open  in  front,  as  is  too  often  the  case.  This  opening  is 
of  no  use  whatever,  save  to  allow  particles  of  caps  to  fly  out  into 
one's  hands  and  eyes ;  whereas,  if  the  nose  is  perfectly  uniform 
all  around,  the  cap  becomes  entirely  enclosed  when  the  explosion 
takes  place,  and  it  is  utterly  impossible  for  a  single  fragment  of 
the  cap  to  escape. 

It  is  very  seldom  that  the  recoil  occasioned  by  the  detonation  of 
a  cap  is  sufficiently  powerful  to  throw  the  hammer  up.  If  such, 
however,  should  be  the  case,  it  has  been  proposed  to  have  the 
mainspring  made  adequately  strong  to  prevent  this  accident.  As 
a  still  greater  protection  to  the  eyes  from  the  fragments  of  the 
shattered  caps,  the  hammer  is  usually  made  with  a  circular  rim  at 
the  point  where  the  nose  joins  the  head,  and  the  whole  is  still 
further  guarded  by  "a  Ireeching-wall  elevation,'* 

CARTRIDGES. 

Of  late  years,  cartridges  are  very  extensively  used  by  sports- 
men, and  have  proved  of  immense  advantage  in  many  kinds  of 
shooting ;  in  fact,  some  of  our  friends  use  them  altogether  on  every 
variety  of  game,  and  pronounce  their  general  introduction  the 
most  happy  thought  of  the  age.  Cartridges  are  very  simple  in 
their  construction,  and  can  be  made  by  the  sportsman  himself  or 
any  of  the  younger  members  of  his  family,  or,  what  is  better,  can 
be  purchased  for  a  trifle  of  the  gunsmith  in  any  reasonable  quan- 


378  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

tity  at  a  few  hours'  notice.  The  process  for  making  them  is  as 
follows: — Having  procured  a  round  plug  of  wood  about  four 
inches  long,  perfectly  cylindrical  and  two  or  three  sizes  smaller 
than  the  bore  of  the  gun,  a  few  sheets  of  strong  pliable  paper, 
together  with  a  quantity  of  thin-cut  waddings  and  a  convenient 
measure  for  the  shot,  we  commence  operations  as  follows: — The 
paper  is  first  cut  into  pieces  of  the  proper  dimensions  for  holding 
the  shot,  which  of  course  will  be  regulated  by  the  size  of  the  gun 
and  our  previous  experience.  This  being  done,  we  place  ourself 
before  a  table  with  every  thing  convenient  around  us ;  a  wad  is 
now  grasped  by  the  left  index-finger  and  thumb,  and  placed 
against  the  inner  extremity  of  the  cartridge-roller,  and  there  held 
by  the  finger  and  thumb  of  the  right  hand ;  one  of  the  cartridge- 
papers  is  now  put  under  the  roller,  with  sufficient  of  its  surface 
extending  beyond  the  roller,  say  half  an  inch,  as,  when  folded 
upon  itself,  as  hereafter  to  be  described,  will  make  a  tight  cylin- 
der. The  poper,  wad,  and  roller,  all  being  arranged  as  above 
described,  by  a  rapid  and  dexterous  movement  of  the  hand  the  roller 
is  forced  to  turn  in  an  even  and  regular  manner  over  the  surface 
of  the  table,  carrying  the  paper  along  with  it,  which  is  made  to 
encircle  the  roller  as  tightly  as  possible.  The  projecting  por- 
tion of  the  paper  is  now  folded  snugly  upon  the  wadding  at  the 
end  of  the  roller,  and  the  forming  of  the  cylinder  finished  by 
raising  the  roller  and  giving  the  end  of  it  a  smart  tap  or  two  on 
the  table,  by  way  of  pressing  the  folds  more  securely  together. 
The  next  movement  is  to  withdraw  the  roller  from  the  cylinder, 
leaving  the  wadding  at  the  bottom  to  strengthen  it ;  the  shot  is 
then  poured  into  the  cylinder  from  the  measure  already  agreed 
upon,  and,  after  being  well  shaken  down,  another  wadding  is  placed 
over  it,  and  the  projecting  edges  of  the  paper  folded  tightly  down. 
By  this  process  we  will  have  the  proper  load  of  shot  in  a  close, 
compact,  and  convenient  form,  which  may  be  carried  in  the  pocket 
loosely,  or  in  small  packages  of  fives  and  tens.  When  the  fingers 
once  become  familiar  with  the  handling  of  the  implements  neces- 
sary for  making  cartridges,  the  quantity  that  can  be  put  up  in  the 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  379 

course  of  an  hour  by  one  person  is  astonishing.  In  making  car- 
tridges for  duck-guns,  it  will  be  necessary  to  use  stouter  paper 
than  that  used  for  partridge-shooting ;  and,  to  make  them  hold  the 
additional  weight  of  shot  more  securely,  the  edges  of  the  paper, 
when  being  folded  down,  may  be  touched  with  a  solution  of 
gum-tragacanth. 

Having  given  directions  for  the  making  of  cartridges,  it  is  now 
the  proper  time  to  say  something  in  reference  to  their  merits,  or 
rather  their  claims  over  the  ordinary  way  of  loading. 

In  general  shooting,  there  is  no  doubt  in  our  mind  but  that 
shot-cartridges  are  a  very  useful  invention,  and  that  much  greater 
numbers  of  birds  can  be  killed  with  them  than  in  the  ordinary  style 
of  pouring  the  shot  into  the  gun.  In  the  first  place,  we  can  load 
with  so  much  more  facility  that,  in  some  kinds  of  shooting,  we 
have  greatly  the  advantage.  For  example,  in  rail  and  reed-bird 
shooting,  or  even  in  wild-fowl  shooting,  when  the  ducks  are  flying 
as  fast  perhaps  as  we  can  load,  the  one  that  loads  the  fastest  will 
of  course  get  the  greater  number  of  shots  and  the  most  birds. 

In  the  second  place,  the  shot  thrown  from  a  cartridge  will  be 
carried  in  a  much  more  compact  form  to  a  distance  of  ten  or  fifteen 
yards  farther  than  by  the  old  method  of  loading.  This  being  the 
case,  it  is  reasonable  to  conclude  that  a  much  larger  proportion  of 
long  shots  will  be  successful  than  when  the  shot  is  projected  from 
the  gun  in  a  loose  state,  and  consequently  when  the  game  is  wild 
will  be  of  immense  advantage.  In  close  shooting,  cartridges  have 
no  advantage  over  the  old  style  of  loading, — in  fact,  are  not  so 
certain  in  their  effect, — as  the  shot,  being  carried  in  a  compact  mass 
for  a  considerable  distance,  requires  the  same  deadly  aim  for  a  near 
object  as  if  a  ball  was  to  be  fired  out  of  a  gun,  and  not  a  hundred 
pellets  of  shot ;  and  even  if  the  bird  should  be  struck  at  this 
distance  the  probability  is  that  it  would  be  torn  in  pieces, — at  all 
events,  dreadfully  mangled.  These  are  the  only  inconveniences 
arising  from  the  use  of  cartridges  such  as  we  have  described;  all 
of  which,  however,  may  be  entirely  done  away  with  by  charging 
one  barrel  with  loose  shot  and  the  other  with  a  cartridge,  or  by 


380  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

shooting  deliberately, — that  is,  waiting  till  the  bird  gets  at  a  proper 
distance  before  firing.  Either  of  these  plans  will  obviate  all  the 
difficulties. 

In  pigeon-shooting  matches,  cartridges  are  far  superior  to  loose 
shot;  and  one  of  the  best  pigeon-shooters  among  our  friends  in- 
formed us  that,  at  a  match  contested  by  him  and  some  others  of 
our  acquaintance  a  few  days  since,  the  only  two  birds  which  he 
missed  were  those  fired  at  with  loose  shot.  This  experience  cer- 
tainly is  very  strong  in  favor  of  the  cartridges.  In  fact,  so  much 
superior  are  plain  shot-cartridges  considered  to  loose  pellets,  that 
their  use  has  been  ruled  out  of  pigeon-matches  pretty  generally. 

In  wild-fowl  shooting,  as  before  stated,  shot-cartridges  made  of 
strong  paper  are  of  great  advantage,  and  the  distance  at  which  Eley's 
patent  wire  cartridges  will  kill  is  almost  incredible.  We  have  seen 
canvas-backs  killed  with  a  small  partridge-gun  loaded  with  wire 
cartridges  at  a  height  that  would  seem  to  preclude  the  possibility 
of  reaching  them  even  with  a  large  duck-gun. 

Eley's  patent  cartridges  are  a  most  excellent  invention.  The  shot 
is  enclosed  in  a  thin  sheet  of  wire  gauze,  which  of  course  will  not 
burst  so  soon  as  the  paper  frame,  and  consequently  will  carry  its 
contents  much  farther  in  a  mass,  and  therefore  for  general  close 
shooting  they  are  more  objectionable  than  our  home-made  ones.  In 
wild-fowl,  squirrel,  deer,  or  even  grouse-shooting,  wire  cartridges 
will  be  found  to  be  of  incalculable  advantage ;  and  the  only  objec- 
tion to  be  urged  against  them  in  these  cases  is  their  expensiveness. 

When  using  paper  cartridges,  it  is  more  necessary  to  examine 
the  state  of  the  second  barrel  after  the  discharge  of  the  first  than 
when  using  loose  shot,  as  paper  cartridges  are  more  apt  to  loosen 
and  move  up  the  barrel  than  when  loose  shot  has  a  tight-fitting 
wadding  put  over  it ;  this  danger,  however,  may  be  obviated  by 
placing  a  wadding  over  the  cartridge,  and  in  this  way  it  will  be 
doubly  secure. 

Paper  cartridges  are  used  very  extensively  in  rail-shooting, 
owing  to  the  facility  of  loading  with  them,  and  also  from  their 
being  less  liable  to  lead  the  barrels  than  the  loose  shot. 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  381 

Some  persons  are  in  the  habit  of  pasting  the  edges  of  their 
cartridges  with  a  trifle  of  gum  arabic  or  tragacanth.  We  do 
not  suppose  this  plan  to  be  of  any  special  benefit,  except  where 
very  large  shot  is  used  for  some  particular  kind  of  shooting. 
Pasting  partridge  or  rail-cartridges  is  worse  than  useless,  as  the 
gum  will  make  the  barrels  sticky  after  repeated  firing,  and  conse- 
quently they  will  become  dirty  much  sooner  than  if  they  were  made 
without  the  paste ;  and,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  rolling  them  in 
this  way  will  give  much  additional  labor,  without  a  corresponding 
advantage. 

SPRING-CRAMP. 

It  is  well  for  sportsmen  to  be  provided  with  a  spring-cramp  for 
the  purpose  of  removing  the  mainspring  of  the  lock  if  it  should 
become  too  weak,  or,  if  broken,  to  replace  it  by  another.  When 
using  this  instrument,  care  should  be  had  not  to  cramp  the  spring 
more  than  is  absolutely  necessary  to  place  it  in  its  proper  position, 
or  its  elasticity  might  be  injured  by  the  unusual  pressure.  Before 
applying  the  cramp  to  the  spring,  it  is  necessary  to  put  the  lock 
on  full  cock ;  then,  if  the  hammer  be  let  down,  the  mainspring  will 
fall  out. 


POWDER  AND  SHOT  GAUGE. 

This  Utile  affair  is  a  very  useful  and  simple  contrivance,  and  the 
possession  of  it  will  save  the  sportsman,  at  times,  much  trouble 
and  speculation  as  to  the  correct  loading  of  his  gun. 

We  are  somewhat  at  a  loss  how  to  speak  of  this  instrument,  lest 
we  may  perplex  our  readers  without  making  the  description  sufii- 
ciently  lucid  for  their  comprehension,  when  a  single  glance  at  the 
gauge  itself  would  clear  up  the  whole  difficulty.     We  will  there- 


382  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

fore  preface  our  remarks  by  stating  that  this  cunning  little 
machine  is  intended  to  proportion  the  charge  of  powder  to  a  cer- 
tain measure  or  weight  of  shot. 

It  is  a  general  rule  among  sportsmen  to  use  the  same  bulk  of 
powder  as  shot ;  that  is,  to  have  the  charger  of  the  powder-flask  so 
graded  that  it  will  just  hold  the  usual  charge  of  shot.  This,  to-be- 
sure,  is  very  easily  arranged ;  but  then  it  is  often  necessary,  at  all 
events  very  satisfactory,  to  know  the  exact  weight  of  both  powder 
and  shot  that  a  gun  shoots  well  with ;  all  this,  then,  may  be  got  at 
in  a  moment  of  time  by  the  use  of  this  instrument. 

The  gauge  is  formed  of  two  brass  cylinders  eleven-sixteenths  of 
an  inch  in  diameter  and  three  and  three-quarter  inches  in  length, 
one  fitting  or  sliding  within  the  other ;  the  inner  one  is  solid  at 
each  end,  and  has  a  gauge  of  weights  cut  on  its  surface,  somewhat 
similar  to  those  seen  on  the  glass  measures  used  by  apothecaries. 
On  one  side,  extending  the  whole  length  of  the  cylinder,  is  the 
gradiftg  for  weighing  the  shot,  from  one-fourth  ounce  to  three 
ounces ;  on  the  other  side  is  the  grading  for  determining  the  weight 
of  like  proportions  of  powder,  from  one-fourth  drachm  to  seven 
drachms. 

When  we  wish  to  ascertain  the  weight  of  a  certain  proportion  of 
shot,  all  that  is  necessary  is  to  lay  hold  of  the  rim  that  encircles 
the  end  of  the  inner  cylinder  and  pull  it  (the  cylinder)  out  suffi- 
ciently to  leave  space  enough  between  the  top  of  the  outer  cylinder 
and  the  end  of  .the  inner  cylinder,  which  is  now  withdrawn  from 
within  the  outer  one,  so  as  to  create  the  requisite  vacuum  for  the 
shot  to  be  measured  or  weighed. 

This  being  accomplished,  the  divisions  of  the  grading  cut  on  the 
cylinder  will  show  not  only  the  required  weight  of  the  shot,  but 
also  the  exact  weight  of  the  same  bulk  of  powder. 

This  instrument  is  not,  of  course,  as  precise  as  a  pair  of  fine 
scales,  but  nevertheless  is  sufficiently  correct  for  all  ordinary  pur- 
poses. From  the  operations  of  this  gauge  we  have  ascertained 
that  one  ounce  of  shot  will  fill  the  same  space  as  two  drachms  and 
three-eighths  of  powder;  one  ounce  and  a  half  of  shot,  within  a 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  383 

fraction  of  a  space  equal  to  three  and  a  half  drachms  ;  two  ounces, 
within  a  fraction  equal  to  four  drachms  and  three-quarters ;  three 
ounces,  within  a  fraction  equal  to  seven  drachm^ ;  and  so  on. 

NIPPLE   OR   PIVOT-WRENCH. 

This  is  a  very  useful  and  necessary  implement :  indeed,  no 
sportsman  can  consider  himself  properly  equipped  without  one. 
We  have  had  several  different  kinds  in  the  past  few  years,  but 
never  had  one  till  very  lately  that  seemed  to  answer  our  purpose 
in  all  respects.  This  wrench  is  made  entirely  of  what  is  termed 
wrought  steel,  and,  having  a  transverse  handle  to  it  similar  to  a 
metal  gimlet,  a  powerful  purchase  can  be  had  on  the  shoulder 
of  the  nipple,  insomuch  that,  when  applied  with  the  requisite  force, 
the  nipple  must  come  out  or  the  shoulder  must  yield  and  break  off. 
On  either  end  of  the  handle  of  the  wrench  'is  a  small  brass  cap, 
nicely  fitted  on  and  forming  a  continuation  of  the  handle ;  on  screw- 
ing this  off,  an  extra  nipple  will  be  found  in  each ;  and  on  the  top  of 
the  handle,  running  down  into  the  body  of  the  wrench,  is  a  neat, 
brass-headed  gun-picker.  These  caps  and  picker  not  only  give  a 
handsome  finish  to  the  wrench,  but  add  very  materially  to  its  im- 
portance. 

Wrenches  made  with  wooden  handles  are  not  generally  good  for 
much,  as  the  nipples  frequently  get  rusted  in  the  gun,  and  it  then 
requires  a  very  powerful  force  to  start  them,  which  cannot  be  ap- 
plied except  with  a  wrench  having  a  transverse  metal  handle.  We 
have  suffered  from  this  inconvenience  more  than  once,  and  have 
seen  others  in  the  same  predicament.  The  wooden  handle  is  also 
liable  to  be  cracked  or  broken ;  it  also  takes  up  far  more  room 
than  the  metal  one,  which,  upon  the  whole,  is  smaller,  stronger, 
and  neater. 

The  wrenches  having  their  handles  so  formed  that  they  fold 
up  on  the  body  of  the  instrument  are  certainly  very  convenient 
for  the  pocket,  but  they  are  not  so  strong  as  the  kind  above 
referred  to. 


384  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


SPORTING-KNIFE. 

There  is  nothing,  at  times,  more  useful  than  a  sporting-knife, 
which  comprises  all  the  requisites  for  probing,  examining  locks, 
dividing  luncheon,  &c.  &c.  The  knife  should  not  be  too  large  or 
complicated,  but  only  contain  those  instruments  which  may  at  some 
time  or  another  prove  useful ;  for  instance,  it  should  not  be  defi- 
cient in  a  probe,  a  pivot-picker,  a  nipple-wrench,  a  turn-screw,  a 
fleam  for  bleeding  dogs,  and  one,  perhaps,  for  horses  also,  as  this 
noble  animal  is  so  frequently  a  necessary  accompaniment  to  a 
shooting-trip  that  we  should  be  provided  with  means  to  preserve 
his  well-being  in  case  of  need ;  for  instance,  if  he  should  be  at- 
tacked with  a  fit  of  blind  staggers,  or  any  other  affection  requiring 
bleeding. 

Such  knives  can  be  obtained  at  the  gunsmiths'  or  fancy  sporting 
stores,  and  should  be  as  plain  as  possible  in  its  appearance,  and 
valuable  for  its  intrinsic  worth.  If  one-half  or  two-thirds  of  the 
price  of  the  instrument  is  expended  upon  the  finishing  and  carving 
of  the  handle  or  other  fancy  work,  we  cannot  expect  to  find  good 
metal  in  the  blades. 

CARRYING   GAME. 

The  old-fashioned,  cumbersome  game-bag  is  now  entirely  out  of 
use,  and  all  kinds  of  game  are  carried  in  pockets  appropriated  to 
that  purpose  in  the  shooting-coat,  of  which  we  will  speak  more 
particularly  under  another  head. 

Before  putting  birds  in  the  pocket,  their  feathers  should  be 
smoothed  down ;  and,  if  the  sportsman  takes  pride  in  the  appear- 
ance of  his  game,  the  blood  ought  to  be  wiped  from  their  plumage 
before  it  becomes  hard  and  congealed. 

GUNNING-CLOTHES. 

Fustian  undoubtedly  makes  the  most  serviceable  coat  for  field- 
shooting  in  these  latitudes,  and,  although  entirely  of  cotton  fabric, 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  385 

is  quite  warm  enough  for  all  kinds  of  sport,  even  in  the  coldest 
weather,  provided  we  are  in  motion. 

A  coat  made  of  this  material  is  rather  warm  and  heavy  for  late 
snipe-shooting  or  cock-shooting,  as  the  texture  of  the  cloth  is  so 
very  close  that  it  will  hardly  permit  of  the  passage  of  the  insen- 
sible perspiration  from  the  body.  For  this  latter  kind  of  work  we 
prefer  a  brown  linen  coat. 

A  fustian  coat  has  an  important  advantage  over  all  kinds  of 
woollen  articles,  that  it  does  not  offer  a  harbor  for  moths  during 
the  idle  season;  and,  moreover,  having  very  little  or  no  nap,  it 
neither  catches  the  briers  so  easily  nor  gets  torn  by  the  twigs  or 
thorns. 

We  never  had  but  one  woollen  shooting-coat ;  and  that  was  fairly 
torn  to  pieces  in  one  season,  and  the  remnants  eaten  up  the  follow- 
ing summer  by  the  moths. 

The  pants  and  vest  should  all  be  made  of  the  same  material, 
and  have  a  sufficient  quantity  of  pockets  for  all  purposes.  Our 
suit  contains  sixteen  pockets,  and  we  find  them  all  more  or  less 
useful.  The  cap  had  likewise  better  be  made  of  fustian :  it  will 
prove  warm,  strong,  and  in  a  measure  water-proof;  it  should 
have  a  large  front  to  protect  the  eyes,  and  a  back  to  put  down 
at  pleasure,  to  turn  the  rain  off  from  the  neck  and  shoulders. 
A  cap  made  after  this  style  is  called  by  the  cap-makers  the 
Napoleon  cap. 

The  cap  we  use  has  no  lining  in  it,  and  we  find  it  quite  warm 
enough  without  it  for  most  kinds  of  shooting;  if  the  weather, 
however,  is  very  cold  and  boisterous  during  wild-fowl  shooting,  we 
place  a  quilted  lining  in  the  crown,  which  makes  it  as  comfortable 
as  need  be.  The  fustian  coat  will  not  answer  for  wild-fowl  shoot- 
ing, as  it  is  not  sufficiently  warm.  Nothing  but  wool  will  do  for 
this  purpose, — to  preserve  which,  in  the  summer  season,  from  the 
annoying  attacks  of  the  moths,  is  no  small  affair;  however,  we 
will  try  to  put  our  readers  in  a  way  effectually  to  defy  the  efforts 
of  these  little  torments. 

A  bag  sufficiently  large  to  hold  all  the  woollen  shooting-clothes 

25 


386  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

should  be  made  of  strong  linen,  and,  before  putting  the  clothing  in 
it,  it  should  be  wrung  out  of  turpentine  and  hung  up  to  dry.  The 
clothes,  after  being  well  beaten  and  brushed,  are  put  into  this  bag 
with  pieces  of  camphor  distributed  in  the  pockets.  The  bag  is 
then  sewed  up  and  put  away  in  some  dark  hole,  and  not  opened 
until  the  return  of  the  ducking-season,  when  all  will  be  found  right. 
Without  this  precaution,  a  whole  suit  will  be  riddled  by  these  vora- 
cious little  torments  in  the  course  of  one  summer.  Fustian,  as 
before  said,  being  manufactured  entirely  of  cotton,  is,  of  course, 
not  liable  to  the  attacks  of  moths. 


IMPORTANCE    OF   CLEAN   GUNS. 

Sportsmen  cannot  be  too  particular  in  cleaning  their  guns,  so  as 
to  prevent  the  accumulation  of  any  thing  like  rust.  It  would  seem 
almost  absurd  for  us  to  advise  our  readers  never  to  put  their  arms 
away  without  washing  them  out  thoroughly  and  rubbing  them  per- 
fectly dry  with  a  good  supply  of  that  very  essential  article  vulgarly 
termed  "elbow-grease."  Nevertheless,  this  recommendation  is  a 
necessary  precaution,  as  we  were  informed,  a  few  days  since,  that 
one  of  our  oldest  and  most  experienced  sporting  friends  is  in  the 
habit  of  laying  his  gun  by  at  the  conclusion  of  each  shooting- 
season  without  even  so  much  as  swabbing  it  out ;  and,  to  make  the 
matter  still  worse,  he  strongly  recommends  and  insists  upon  this 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  387 

course  as  tlie  proper  plan  to  prevent  the  engendering  of  rust. 
Whether  or  not  he  also  advised  the  standing  of  the  barrels  in  a 
damp  cellar  for  a  month  or  so,  we  did  not  ascertain,  but  might  be 
led  to  infer  that  he  could  not  certainly  object  to  this  addition. 

When  a  barrel  is  fired,  the  metal  of  course  becomes  heated,  and 
the  natural  consequence  of  the  application  of  this  heat  is  a  rapid 
condensation  and  accumulation  of  moisture  upon  the  inside  of  the 
barrel, — the  same  as  we  often  see  collected  upon'  the  window-panes 
of  our  houses  on  a  cool  November  morning.  This  fact  may  be 
clearly  ascertained,  if  any  one  of  my  readers  doubts  the  assertion, 
by  merely  thrusting  the  little  finger  into  the  muzzle  a  minute  or 
two  after  firing,  when  it  will  be  found  that  the  inside  of  the  gun  is 
covered  with  a  certain  degree  of  dampness  which  increases  the 
farther  we  go  down  the  barrel.  This  moisture,  in  connection  with 
some  of  the  ingredients  used  in  the  manufacture  of  powder,  soon 
creates  a  deposition  of  rust  of  a  most  corrosive  character,  which, 
if  allowed  to  remain  for  several  weeks,  will  materially  injure  the 
weapon. 

When  a  rust-spot  or  flaw  is  once  made  on  the  inside  of  a 
barrel,  it  is  very  dijfiacult  to  be  got  at;  and  even  after  the  most 
cautious  cfeaning  a  small  particle  of  moisture  will  be  found  cling- 
ing to  its  uneven  surface,  which  will  continue  to  corrode  the  barrel 
at  this  point,  until  at  last  a  hole  is  actually  eaten  through,  pro- 
vided the  gun  does  not  burst  before  this  takes  place.  A  rust-flaw 
upon  a  fine  sword-blade  is  a  most  difiicult  thing  to  get  rid  of, 
although  easily  got  at,  and  will  often  defy  the  rubbing  and  polish^ 
ing  of  the  most  persevering  amateur.  How  much  more  difficult, 
therefore,  must  it  be  to  remove  it  when  entirely  hidden  from  sight 
far  down  the  barrel ! 

Some  shooters  are  in  the  habit  of  putting  their  guns  away 
loaded  and  letting  them  remain  in  this  condition  for  weeks  at  a 
time,  and  then  fearlessly  firing  them  ofi*,  little  dreaming  of  the 
danger  they  run  by  this  piece  of  negligence,  owing  to  the  accu- 
mulation of  rust  around  the  powder  and  along  the  barrel.  That 
the  corrosive  action  of  rust  is  the  frequent  cause  of  those  terrible 


888  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

accidents  that  often  occur  among  ignorant  and  careless  shooters  no 
one  will  for  a  moment  question;  and  all  have  noticed  that  the 
bursting  of  guns  is  far  more  frequent  with  those  who  reside  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  sea-shore  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  coun- 
try, owing  in  a  great  measure  to  the  fact  that  the  salt  moisture  of 
the  atmosphere  produces  rust  with  so  much  rapidity  that  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  keep  the  barrels  clear  of  it,  even  with  the  most 
persevering  industry.  Of  this,  however,  we  will  speak  more  fully 
under  another  head. 

,  We  are  astonished  that  any  sensible  sportsman  could  for  a  mo- 
ment entertain  or  endeavor  to  promulgate  such  a  ridiculous  notion 
as  putting  away  a  gun  dirty  to  preserve  it  from  rust !  In  fact, 
we  cannot  understand  his  motive  or  conjure  up  one  single  good 
reason  for  so  doing ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  we  are  satisfied  that 
such  a  course  would  be  attended  with  the  most  injurious  results. 

SHOOTING-BOOTS. 

How  frequently  have  we  seen  one  of  our  sporting  friends  vic- 
timized during  a  whole  day's  shooting  by  the  tortures  of  a  pair 
of  badly-made  and  ill-constructed  boots !  and  how  often  have  we 
sympathized  with  him  in  his  misfortunes,  as  well  as  laughed  at  his 
negligence  in  being  caught  in  such  an  unsportsmanlike  predicament. 

Nothing  adds  more  to  the  comfort  and  good-humor  of  a  sports- 
man than  a  perfectly-fitting  and  well-modelled  boot,  and  nothing 
is  more  easily  obtained  if  recourse  is  had  to  a  smart  workman.  If 
walking-boots  are  not  made  full,  large,  and  easy,  no  comfort  can 
be  expected  from  them,  as  they  will  be  sure  either  to  cramp  the 
feet,  pinch  the  toes,  gall  the  heel,  skin  the  instep,  or  arrest  the  free 
circulation  of  the  blood  and  fatigue  the  wearer  almost  to  death. 
It  is  of  no  use,  certainly,  to  enumerate  any  more  of  the  miseries 
attending  a  pair  of  bad-fitting  shooting-boots,  as  many  of  our 
readers  no  doubt,  some  time  in  the  course  of  their  lives,  have  had 
a  practical  demonstration  of  the  matter,  and  perhaps  can  speak 
more  feelingly  on  the  subject  than  we  can,  as  we  have  always  been 
very  particular  in  the  choice  of  these  articles,  and  consequently 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  389 

have  seldom  been  caught  in  the  unfortunate  situation  above  alluded 
to.  There  are,  however,  some  other  objections  attending  the  own- 
ership of  a  pair  of  tight  boots,  particularly  when  damp ;  that  is, 
they  are  very  inconvenient  to  get  on,  and,  we  might  say,  still  worse 
to  pull  off.  And,  moreover,  nothing  injures  the  stiffening  of  the 
heels  so  much,  and  makes  them  perfectly  good-for-nothing,  as 
tugging  at  them  with  a  bootjack  or  working  into  them  with  the 
toe  of  the  other  foot  or  over  the  cross-bar  of  a  chair:  the  stiff 
sole -leather  with  which  the  heel  is  braced  becomes  perfectly  soft, 
and  consequently  will  be  sure  to  run  over  on  the  next  trial.  What 
is  more  ludicrous  than  to  see  a  bad-tempered  man,  half  bent,  danc- 
ing and  prancing  over  a  small  bar-room,  with  one  foot  in  a  slipper 
and  the  other  stuck  fast  half-way  down  a  tight  boot,  striving  in 
vain  with  all  the  energies  of  his  body  to  force  it  on  ?  Such  scenes 
are  not  uncommon  among  sportsmen,  and  often  give  rise  to  much 
merriment  on  the  part  of  the  "  knowing  ones."  That  a  tight  boot  is 
very  uncomfortable,  no* one  will  deny;  and  a  boot  made  too  large 
for  the  foot  has  likewise  its  inconveniences,  as  it  will  be  sure  to 
ride  up  and  down  on  the  heel,  and  sooner  or  later  will  rub  the  foot 
into  blisters  of  the  most  painful  character.  There  is  a  happy 
medium  between  these  two  evils  of  loose  and  tight  boots,  which 
every  intelligent  mechanic  knows  how  to  arrive  at  without  any 
directions  from  the  sportsman;  "in  a  word,  the  boot  should  be 
made  to  fit  the  foot,  and  not  the  foot  to  fit  the  boot,"  as  is  too 
often  the  case. 

Shooting-boots  should  be  made  of  stout  calfskin  of  the  very 
best  quality,  with  broad  soles,  square  toes,  wide,  deep,  and  low 
heels.  If  the  heels  be  made  too  narrow  and  high,  the  stiffening 
will  soon  give  way  when  softened  by  the  long  application  of  mud 
and  water,  in  connection  with  the  pressure  of  the  heel  of  the  foot, 
which  will  soon  be  carried  entirely  over  the  frame  of  the  sole ;  and 
we  know  of  nothing  more  uncomfortable  and  fatiguing  than  to  be 
forced  to  walk  all  day  long  with  a  "run-over  boot."  This  accident, 
bad  as  it  is,  can  hardly  be  prevented  with  any  degree  of  caution 
in  snipe-shooting,  as  the  stiffening  of  the  heel  becomes  so  very  soft 


LEWIS  S    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

while  wading  about  in  the  mud  and  mire,  and  the  walking  is  so 
very  uneven,  that  the  heel  almost  invariably  pushes  itself  by  de- 
grees entirely  over  the  frame,  and  we  have  abandoned  all  hope  of 
ever  having  a  decent-looking  pair  of  boots  for  this  kind  of  shoot- 
ing. When,  however,  they  have  run  over,  they  may  be  braced  up 
with  pieces  of  sole-leather,  and  the  heel  itself  slightly  raised  on  the 
same  side,  so  as  to  throw  the  weight  of  the  foot  in  the  opposite 
direction ;  in  this  way  they  will  stand  a  great  deal  of  hard  work, 
and,  with  a  little  management,  can  be  made  to  last  a  long  while. 
"We  have  been  so  much  annoyed  with  our  boots  running  over  while 
snipe-shooting,  that  we  proposed  to  our  bootmaker  to  put  in  a 
metallic  plate  of  some  kind  between  the  layers  of  leather  usually 
employed  for  making  this  portion  of  the  boot  firm  and  unyielding 
to  the  pressure  of  wet  and  irregular  walking ;  but  he  made  so  many 
objections  to  our  proposition  that  we  were  forced  to  abandon  the 
idea  for  the  present.  However,  we  intend  to  investigate  the  sub- 
ject at  some  future  time. 

Some  sportsmen  recommend  the  use  of  low,  laced  boots  for 
snipe-shooting,  as  they  say  it  is  impossible  to  keep  your  feet  dry, 
no  matter  how  careful  you  may  be,  and  therefore  it  is  much  better 
not  to  worry  yourself  with  long  and  heavy  boots,  warranted  to  be 
water-proof.  We  have  tried  both  water-proof  boots  and  non-water- 
proof bootees,  and  have  at  times  been  as  much  disgusted  with  one 
as  the  other, — giving  the  preference  now  to  one  and  now  to  the 
other, — until  we  have  at  last  nearly  come  to  the  conclusion  that  an 
old  pair  of  easy  walking-boots,  with  holes  in  them  to  let  the  water 
run  out  as  fast  as  it  flows  in,  is  about  as  comfortable  a  kind  of  boot 
for  snipe-shooting  as  one  can  wear,  as  the  feet  will  get  wet  at  all 
hazards, — at  least  our  feet  will ;  for  if  the  boots  be  made  high,  even 
to  reach  far  above  the  knees,  we  are  sure,  some  time  in  the  course 
of  the  day,  to  get  into  a  ditch  perhaps  up  to  our  middle ;  and  as 
often  as  we  have  gone  out  with  the  determination  of  not  getting 
our  feet  wet,  just  so  often  have  we  returned  home  with  them  soak- 
ing, and  many  a  pang  of  rheumatism  have  we  sufiered  in  conse- 
quence of  our  want  of  care.     We  do  not  pretend  to  say  that  boots 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  391 

cannot  be  rendered  water-proof,  for  we  know  to  the  contrary,  and 
purpose  giving  some  receipts  for  making  even  ordinary  leather  im- 
pervious to  water ;  but  we  wish  to  say  that,  so  far  as  we  are  con- 
cerned, we  have  never  yet  been  snipe-shooting  without  wetting  our 
feet;  but,  at  the  same  time,  must  confess  that  we  are  not  easily 
deterred  from  crossing  a  ditch,  and  neither  are  we  a  very  expert 
hand  at  walking  a  rickety  fence-rail  or  a  slippery  log. 

Shooting-boots  should  never  be  made  too  heavy :  it  is  a  mistaken 
idea  to  have  them  made  of  the  stoutest  leather  and  with  the 
heaviest  soles,  weighing  perhaps  several  pounds  apiece,  inde- 
pendently of  the  mud  which  generally  adheres  to  them.  A  pair  of 
boots  of  this  description,  hanging  like  lumps  of  lead  to  one's  feet, 
will  tire  and  wear  out  any  sportsman,  no  matter  how  lusty  he 
may  be,  in  just  half  the  time  that  would  have  been  the  case  if  he 
had  used  a  pair  of  strong  and  light  boots. 

Some  of  our  sporting  friends,  however,  who  are  as  averse  to 
getting  their  feet  wet  as  a  cat  is  to  moistening  her  paws,  insist 
upon  water-proof  boots  with  leggins  of  India-rubber  cloth  attached 
to  the  tops  of  them  and  made  to  fasten  half-way  up  the  leg.  This 
plan,  with  some  caution  in  picking  out  our  way  over  the  ditches 
and  mud-holes,  will,  no  doubt,  succeed  very  well;  but  when  we 
follow  snipe  we  seldom  have  either  the  patience  or  time  to  hunt  up 
good  crossings  or  sound  every  quagmire  for  a  firm  footing,  and 
therefore  take  it  pretty  much  rough-and-tumble,  just  as  it  comes. 

We  have  tried  laced  boots,  but  have  discarded  them  entirely,  as 
we  dislike  to  have  our  legs  exposed  by  rolling  our  pants  up,  and 
we  have  an  equal  aversion  to  have  them  dangling  muddy  and  wet 
around  our  feet;  we  have,  however,  never  made  use  of  leggins, 
recommended  in  connection  with  laced  boots  for  this  kind  of  shoot- 
ing ;  they,  doubtless,  would  answer  a  very  good  purpose. 


392  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


DRESSING  FOR   SHOOTING-BOOTS. 

There  are  a  great  variety  of  receipts  for  making  mixtures  calcu- 
lated to  render  boots  water-proof;  we  will  give  some  of  them  for 
what  they  are  worth,  leaving  our  friends  to  make  a  more  thorough 
trial  of  their  qualities  than  we  have  had  an  inclination  to  do  as 
yet,  for  we  have  never  been  over-anxious  to  preserve  our  feet  dry, 
and,  when  we  did  think  worth  while  to  make  the  effort,  we  have 
seldom  found  any  preparations  much  superior  to  a  good  greasing 
with  dubbing  the  night  before  going  out,  and  stopping  up  the  seams 
with  a  mixture  of  beeswax  and  grease  melted  slowly  over  the  fire, 
or,  i^  these  ingredients  are  not  at  hand,  the  free  use  of  a  tallow  can- 
dle at  the  moment  of  going  out  for  the  day,  will  generally  answer 
the  same  purpose. 

Porter's  edition  of  Hawher  furnishes  us  with  much  information 
on  this  subject ;  and  we  should  pass  the  matter  over  without  any 
further  notice,  if  we  were  sure  all  our  readers  had  provided  them- 
selves with  this  valuable  work ;  in  fact,  we  might  with  perfect  justice 
to  ourselves  omit  this  subject  as  well  as  many  others  without  a  single 
comment,  as  they  have  already  been  largely  dwelt  upon  in  Hawker : 
and  if  a  sportsman  should  read  our  unpretending  volume  without 
providing  himself  with  the  other  far  more  valuable  work,  he  does 
not  deserve  to  be  well  posted  up  in  sporting-affairs,  as  Hawker  is 
considered  the  prince  of  sportsmen  in  England,  and  his  editor,  Por- 
ter, is  too  well  known  in  this  country  to  need  any  puffing  from  us. 

The  best  kind  of  grease  for  dressing  boots  is  shoemakers* 
dubbing.  We  have  used  it  for  years  in  preference  to  all  other 
mixtures :  it  repels  the  water,  and  keeps  the  leather  soft  and 
pliable.  The  boots  should  always  be  moistened  before  applying  it, 
and  it  should  not  be  put  on  too  frequently,  or  the  leather  may  be 
rendered  too  porous.  Before  grease  of  any  kind  is  applied  to 
boots,  they  should  be  rubbed  quite  clean  and  the  hard  mud  taken 
from  the  seams ;  otherwise  the  leather,  as  well  as  the  thread,  will 
rot  much  faster  and  the  boots  repel  the  water  far  less  than  if  they 
were  perfectly  clean  when  the  grease  is  put  on. 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS. 


KECEIPT. 

Drying  oil,  (linseed,  we  presume,)  one  pint ; 
Yellow  wax,  two  ounces ; 
Turpentine,  two  ounces ; 
Burgundy  pitch,  one  ounce. 

Melt  these  over  a  slow  fire,  and  then  add  a  few  drachms  of  essen- 
tial oil  of  lavender,  or  thyme ;  with  this  your  boots  are  to  be  rubbed 
with  a  brush,  either  in  the  sun  or  at  some  distance  from  the  fire. 
The  application  must  be  repeated  as  often  as  the  boots  become  dry 
again,  until  they  are  fully  saturated. — Hawker* 

This  mixture  is  an  excellent  dressing  for  boots  generally ;  it 
will  not  render  them  water-proof,  but  it  will  cause  them  to  repel 
the  rain  extremely  well. 

An  excellent  dressing  for  shooting-boots,  or  any  thing  else  that 
is  exposed  to  foul  weather,  is  a  solution  of  gum  caoutchouc,  or 
India-rubber,  as  it  is  commonly  called,  in  strong  spirits  of  turpen- 
tine or  ether.  It  is  made  as  follows : — A  piece  of  caoutchouc,  the 
size  of  a  walnut,  is  cut  into  small  pieces  and  put  into  a  wide- 
mouthed  phial,  with  four  ounces  of  turpentine  or  ether,  and 
allowed  to  remain  two  or  three  weeks,  according  to  the  strength 
of  the  solvent,  when  it  will  become  of  the  consistence  of  a  thick 
varnish,  and  may  be  applied  with  a  brush  to  every  part  of  the 
boot,  inside  as  well  as  outside.  If  ether  is  employed  to  dissolve 
it,  it  will  require  but  a  very  short  time  to  make  this  preparation. 
The  phial  should  be  tightly  corked ;  otherwise  the  ether  will  lose 
all  its  strength,  or,  in  other  words,  evaporate.  This  preparation, 
or  one  analogous  to  it,  is  the  article  sold  for  several  years  past  as 
an  application  to  old  harness  and  wagon-covers,  to  make  them 
flexible  and  water-proof. 

Our  friend  Mr.  Chandler  sent  us  a  quantity  of  water-proof 
dressing  for  boots,  which  we  used  on  several  occasions,  and  found 
to  answer  a  most  excellent  purpose,  so  much  so  that  we  requested 
him  to  furnish  us  with  a  receipt  for  making  it,  which  he  very 
kindly  did,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following  note : — 


894  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

"  Dear  Doctor  : — I  have  had  such  an  excellent  opportunity  foi 
testing  the  good  qualities  of  my  water-proof  preparation  during  a 
late  shooting-excursion,  that  I  can  recommend  it  still  more  highly 
than  before. 

"  The  composition  is  as  follows : — One-quarter  of  a  pound  of 
gum  elastic,  (caoutchouc,)  with  sufficient  naphtha,  oil  of  sassafras, 
seneka,  or  any  other  solvent,  to  completely  liquefy  it ;  after  this 
is  effected,  a  pound  of  tallow  and  three-quarters  of  a  pound  of 
beeswax  should  be  melted  together,  and  in  connection  with  the 
dissolved  gum  should  be  kept  over  a  slow  fire  until  they  are  inti- 
mately commingled.  When  using  the  preparation,  the  boots  should 
be  slightly  wet  and  warmed:  if  the  mixture  is  then  properly 
rubbed  in,  it  is  almost  impossible  for  the  water  to  penetrate.  In 
addition  to  this,  I  generally  have  the  soles  of  my  boots  soaked  in 
copal  varnish. 

"This  preparation,  when  used  for  common  walking-boots  or 
shoes,  does  not  prevent  a  proper  gloss  being  produced  by  blacking. 
I  shall  be  glad  if  this  is  of  any  service  to  you,  and  am  confident 
that  it  needs  but  a  single  trial  to  convince  of  its  great  efficacy. 

"Very  truly,  yours, 

M.  T.  W.  Chandler." 

Another : — 

"For  new  boots,  half  a  pound  of  beeswax,  one-quarter  pound 
of  resin,  and  the  like  quantity  of  mutton-suet  or  tallow ;  boil  them 
together,  and  anoint  the  boots  well  with  the  preparation  lukewarm. 
If  the  boots  have  been  used,  beef-suet  to  be  substituted  instead  of 
mutton." 

Mr.  Chandler  informs  me  that  he  has  his  shooting-boots  made 
straights, — that  is,  not  right  and  left, — and  finds  that  they  wear 
longer,  and  are  far  less  liable  to  run  over,  as  they  can  be  changed 
from  one  foot  to  the  other  as  soon  as  they  show  a  disposition  to 
run  either  to  the  right  or  left.  The  idea  is  an  excellent  one ;  and 
we  are  somewhat  surprised  that  it  never  occurred  to  us,  more 
especially  as  we  have  had  so  much  trouble  with  our  boots  in  this 
very  particular. 


ISCELLANEOUS    HINTS. 


395 


Another : — 

"A  pint  of  boiled  neatsfoot-oil ; 
Half  a  pound  of  mutton-suet; 
Six  ounces  of  beeswax ; 
Four  ounces  of  resin. 
"These  ingredients  are  to  be  melted  together  over  a  slow  fire, 
and  then  freely  applied  to  every  portion  of  the  boots,  after  warm- 
ing at  the  fire;  this  dressing  is  especially  adapted  to  new  leather." 

Another : — 

"A  pint  of  boiled  linseed  oil; 
Beeswax,  one  ounce; 
Burgundy  pitch,  half  an  ounce ; 
Spirit  of  turpentine,  two  ounces. 
"  Melt  the  first  three  ingredients  in  an  earthen  pot,  then  add  the 
turpentine;  to  be  rubbed  in  when  the  leather  is  tolerably  dry, 
before  the  fire." 


396  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


SHOOTING-STOCKINGS. 

Woollen  stockings  are  preferable  for  walking  to  any  other  kind. 
They  should  be  regular  made, — that  is,  woven  without  any  seam ;  for, 
if  they  be  joined  together  at  their  heels  or  toes  with  a  needle,  the 
irregularities  of  the  seam  are  very  apt  to  rub  the  parts  and  pro- 
duce considerable  uneasiness,  and  often  blisters.  Do  not  suppose 
that  any  common-made  stockings,  such  as  can  be  bought  for  a  few 
pennies  the  pair,  will  answer  every  purpose  and  may  then  be  thrown 
away  at  the  termination  of  the  trip.  The  plan,  in  the  first  place, 
is  not  an  economical  one,  neither  is  it  a  convenient  one ;  for  with 
the  addition  of  a  few  more  pennies  an  excellent  article,  that  would 
last  a  whole  season,  might  be  obtained,  and,  by  always  having 
them  on  hand,  we  would  not,  as  is  often  the  case  when  the  stockings 
are  thrown  away,  find  our  sporting-wardrobe  partially,  if  not  en- 
tirely, deficient  of  these  essentials  just  on  the  point  of  starting. 
These  low-priced  common  stockings  are  never  regular  made,  but 
are  sewed  together  at  the  seams;  they  are  also  badly  shaped, 
particularly  at  the  heels,  and  generally  uncomfortable  to  walk  in, 
as  well  as  very  rotten,  and  in  every  respect  unserviceable  to  a 
sportsman. 

We  are  now  using  stockings  sent  to  us  by  a  friend  from  England, 
and  said  to  be  unversally  used  there  for  ordinary  shooting ;  the 
soles,  toes,  and  heels,  are  made  of  fine  wool,  the  other  parts  of  the 
stocking  being  formed  of  soft  and  stout  cotton. 

We  have  given  several  pairs  of  these  stockings  very  hard  ser- 
vice, and  find  them  to  answer  admirably ;  in  mild  weather  they 
certainly  are  preferable  to  stockings  made  wholly  of  wool,  as  they 
heat  the  feet  less,  absorb  far  less  water,  and  get  dry  much  sooner. 

If  our  shooting-boots  be  too  large,  the  difficulty  will  often  be 
removed  by  wearing  two  pairs  of  stockings, 

CLEANING   GUNS. 

The  process  of  cleaning  a  gun,  although  simple  in  itself,  is  not, 
however,  thoroughly  understood,  much  less  practised,  by  many  of 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  397 

our  sporting  friends,  as  we  have  too  often  observed  when  on  shoot- 
ing-excursions. Not  a  few  of  them  spend  half  an  hour  or  more  over 
their  guns,  rubbing  and  squirting  dirty  water  about,  when  the 
whole  might  be  completed  in  a  few  minutes  if  a  certain  system  was 
adopted.  Our  method  for  this  important  duty  towards  our  fowl- 
ing-piece is  as  follows : — 

The  barrels  are  first  to  be  removed  from  the  stock ;  the  leading 
to  be  loosened  by  the  brisk  friction  of  the  wire-brush  before  spoken 
of.  This  being  accomplished,  the  brush  is  to  be  withdrawn  and  the 
muzzle  turned  downwards,  when  the  leading  will  run  out. 

Cold  water  is  now  to  be  poured  into  the  barrels,  and  the  ramrod, 
with  the  patent  wiper  attached  to  it,  is  to  be  used  briskly  for  a  few 
minutes  in  thoroughly  rubbing  the  barrels. 

This  done  to  our  satisfaction,  rinse  the  barrels  several  times 
with  cold  water,  seeing  that  the  nipple-holes  are  all  clear ;  then 
pour  into  them  boiling  hot  water,  being  provided  with  a  heavy 
cloth  of  some  kind  to  grasp  the  barrel  with,  otherwise  the  hands 
may  be  blistered,  as  the  metal  soon  becomes  extremely  hot  from 
the  application  of  the  v/ater ;  make  lively  use  of  the  rod  for  a  few 
moments,  then  rinse  out  with  boiling  water,  wipe  the  barrels  off  as 
dry  as  possible,  and  place  the  muzzle  downwards  before  the  fire  to 
dry.  A  little  olive-oil  or  other  fresh  grease  may  afterwards  be 
used  on  the  barrels  to  preserve  their  polish  and  keep  from  rusting. 
All  this  may  be  accomplished  in  a  very  few  minutes,  certainly  not 
exceeding  fifteen.  If  hot  water  be  used  first,  in  place  of  cold,  the 
powder  adhering  to  the  barrels  will  become  soft  and  form  itself 
into  a  kind  of  cake,  which  will  be  far  more  difiicult  to  remove; 
therefore  we  particularly  recommend  the  employment  of  the  cold 
first  anjd  the  hot  afterwards. 

If  the  gun  is  to  be  put  away,  not  to  be  used  for  some  time,  a 
little  more  caution  Avill  be  necessary  in  wiping  the  barrels  perfectly 
dry,  to  prevent  rust  as  well  as  preserve  their  polish. 

This  will  require  considerable  friction  with  a  piece  of  flannel  or 
other  woollen  cloth. 

It  is  quite  unnecessary  to  remove  the  breeches  more  than  once 


S98  lewis's   AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

or  twice  a  year  for  examination.  The  habit  of  taking  them  off 
more  frequently  is  preposterous,  as  it  only  loosens  and  wears  the 
threading  of  the  screws  without  being  productive  of  any  particular 
good. 

We  should  say  the  same  in  reference  to  the  extraction  of  the 
nipples,  if  we  did  not  know  how  utterly  impossible  it  is  to  wipe 
the  chamber  of  a  gun  perfectly  dry  without  removing  them.  If 
any  one  of  our  readers  doubts  this  fact,  let  him  clean  his  fowling- 
piece  and  wipe  it  out  as  thoroughly  as  possible  with  the  softest  rags ; 
then  remove  the  nipples,  and  he  will  find  a  drop  of  water,  or  at  all 
events  some  moisture,  at  the  very  bottom  of  the  chamber.  We 
have  tried  it  over  and  over  again,  and  have  always  found  such  to 
be  the  case ;  we,  therefore,  have  been  accustomed  of  late  to  draw 
out  the  nipples  every  time  we  cleaned  our  gun. 

Some  of  our  friends  are  very  much  opposed  to  removing  the 
nipples,  preferring  rather  to  let  them  rust  in  the  gun  than  to  take 
them  out  even  occasionally,  as  they  argue  that  the  frequent  re- 
moval of  them  injures  the  threading  of  the  screw,  and  makes  them 
liable  to  fly  out, — an  accident,  by-the-by,  which  might  be  attended 
with  very  serious  consequences. 

Of  this,  however,  we  have  but  little  fear,  as  we  are  satisfied 
that,  with  good  nipples  made  of  hard  metal,  such  an  accident 
would  scarcely  ever  happen ;  but  at  the  same  time  we  grant  that 
it  might  occur,  and  no  doubt  often  does  occur  with  nipples  manu- 
factured of  soft  metal,  and  of  which  the  threading  is  at  best  very 
imperfect.  Such  nipples  will  not  only  fly  out,  but  the  tubes  will 
burn  out  directly.  Before  replacing  the  nipples,  the  screw  should 
be  oiled. 

LEADING   OP   BARRELS. 

The  leading  of  a  gun  is  occasioned  by  the  melting  of  the  shot 
and  the  adhering  of  particles  of  the  fused  metal  to  the  inside  of 
the  barrels.  Perfect  or  smooth  barrels  are  far  less  liable  to  lead 
than  those  which  are  rough  and  uneven  in  their  surface.  If  a  gun 
leads  quickly  and  a  great  deal,  it  is  certain  evidence  that  it  is  im- 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  399 

perfect  in  its  bore,  and  will  give  the  sportsman  much  trouble  in 
rapid  shooting,  owing  to  the  difficulty  of  loading  his  piece. 

The  wire  brush  we  have  before  spoken  of  is  an  excellent  instru- 
ment with  which  to  free  the  barrels  of  the  leading,  and  is  the  only 
one  that  will  do  it  effectually ;  even  washing  will  not  relieve  the 
barrels  when  they  are  very  rough,  as  common  guns  generally  are. 


TO   PREVENT   RUSTING. 

A  great  many  different  modes  have  been  resorted  to  to  preserve 
gun-barrels  free  from  rust  when  laid  aside  for  a  season,  more  par- 
ticularly by  gunners  living  near  the  sea-shore,  where  the  atmosphere 
at  all  times  is  strongly  tainted  with  the  oxidizing  components.  In 
our  climate,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  remote  from  the  sea- 
shore, there  is  little  danger  of  rust  collecting  on  the  barrels  in 
sufficient  quantities  to  be  of  any  particular  injury  to  the  metal,  if 
proper  care  be  taken  to  clean  and  oil  them  before  putting  away. 
The  barrels  should  be  rubbed  perfectly  dry  inside  and  outside,  and, 
as  has  been  recommended  by  Blain,  a  piece  of  iron  a  little  smaller 
in  diameter  than  the  bore  of  the  piece  may  be  heated  to  a  frac- 
tion short  of  red-heat,  and  by  means  of  a  string  let  down  into 
the  barrels  and  moved  up  and  down  two  or  three  times,  so  as  effec- 
tually to  dispel  every  particle  of  moisture  that  may  be  lingering 
m  the  interior  of  the  gun. 

This  being  accomplished  to  our  satisfaction,  the  fowling-piece 
may  be  oiled  very  slightly,  inside  and  outside,  and  the  muzzles 
stopped  up  with  a  woollen  cloth.  Neatsfoot-oil  is  esteemed  the  best 
kind  for  this  purpose.  There  should  not,  of  course,  be  a  particle 
of  salt  in  the  grease  which  is  used  to  protect  metal  of  any  descrip- 
tion from  rust,  for  reasons  before  stated.  The  nipples  should  be 
covered  with  a  particle  of  shoemakers'  wax,  or  caoutchouc.     This 


400  lewis's     AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

done,  the  gun  is  now  to  be  laid  away  in  a  dry  place ;  otherwise  all 
our  preventive  treatment  will  prove  abortive.  It  will  be  prudent 
to  examine  our  guns  from  time  to  time  when  not  in  constant  use, 
and  rub  them  off  occasionally  with  a  linen  cloth  and  a  little  oil. 

If,  however,  the  reader  should  reside  near  the  sea-shore,  it  will 
be  necessary  to  use  some  further  precautions  to  protect  his  fowling- 
piece  during  the  idle  season;  and  we  know  of  no  better  plan  than 
melting  pure  mutton-suet  and  filling  the  barrels  with  it,  and  also 
giving  the  outside  a  coating  of  the  same,  which  may  be  easily  done 
by  pouring  or  smearing  it  over  the  gun  when  in  a  semi-liquid  state ; 
this  plan,  to-be-sure,  is  not  a  very  nice  one,  but  nevertheless  it  is  a 
very  effectual  one. 

Another  plan,  and  perhaps  a  more  acceptable  method  to  many, 
is  to  give  the  barrels  a  light  coating  of  simple  varnish,  which  will 
protect  them  equally  well  from  the  action  of  the  air. 

If,  however,  the  operation  of  filling  the  barrels  with  mutton-suet 
be  not  convenient  or  agreeable,  they  may  be  oiled,  and  filled  with 
a  rod  covered  over  with  a  woollen  cloth  of  some  kind  and  made  so 
as  to  exactly  fill  the  calibre  of  the  gun  and  by  this  means  exclude 
every  particle  of  air  from  them.  The  breeches  should  be  removed 
for  examination,  and  oiled  before  being  put  away. 

Neatsfoot-oil  is  the  only  kind  of  oil  admissible  for  these  purposes. 
This  unguent,  however,  is  hardly  pure  or  thin  enough  to  be  put  on 
the  machinery  of  the  lock.  We  have  been  using  latterly,  as  a  gene- 
ral lubricating  oil,  a  very  beautiful  French  preparation  by  Adolphe 
Millochau.  It  is  put  up  in  small  bottles  of  an  ounce  or  less,  and 
labelled  "huile  pour  les  armuriers,"  and  can  be  purchased  at  most 
of  the  sporting  stores  on  Broadway  for  a  mere  trifle.  Mercurial 
ointment  is  highly  recommended  by  Hawker  for  duck-guns,  as  also 
the  following  compound,  taken  from  Daniels'  Rural  Sports.  We 
have  tried  both,  and  found  them  equally  efficacious  in  preventing 
rust. 

RECEIPT. 

Three  ounces  of  blacklead,  half  a  pound  of  hogs'  lard,  one 
quarter  of  an  ounce  of  camphor,  boiled  upon  a  slow  fire ;  the  gun- 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  401 

barrels  to  be  rubbed  with  this,  and,  after  three  days,  wiped  ofif  with 
a  linen  cloth.  Twice  in  a  winter  will  keep  off  the  rust,  which  the 
salt  water  is  otherwise  sure  to  be  continually  bringing  out  from 
the  iron. 

In  spite,  however,  of  all  these  precautions,  but  more  frequently 
owing  to  the  negligence  of  the  sportsman,  rust  will  sometimes  accu- 
mulate on  the  surface  as  well  as  the  interior  of  the  barrels,  which 
not  only  renders  them  unsightly,  but  is  really  very  detrimental  to 
the  metal;  therefore  we  are  constrained  to  give  in  this  place  some 
instructions  for  the  removal  of  this  troublesome  deposit  and  the 
restoration  of  the  barrels  to  their  original  beauty. 

We  do  not  think  that  we  could  better  accomplish  this  end,  or  do 
more  justice  to  our  readers,  than  by  transcribing  the  directions 
given  under  this  head  by  the  talented  Blain : — 

"  Have  an  ashen  rod  turned  a  few  inches  longer  than  the  barrel, 
and  so  nearly  of  the  size  of  the  bore  as  to  allow  of  the  following 
process : — Let  one  end  of  the  rod  be  cut  lengthwise  so  as  to  make 
a  slit  of  six  inches  long,  into  which  slit  enter  as  much  fine  emery- 
paper  as  will  completely  fill  up  the  bore  of  the  barrel,  taking  care 
in  folding  the  paper  tightly  round  the  wood  that  the  emery-surface 
is  outward.  Force  it  into  the  barrel  by  screwing  it  downwards 
from  the  top  to  the  bottom ;  repeat  this  process  until  the  barrel  is 
as  clean  and  as  polished  as  when  it  left  the  maker's  hands.  It  is 
needless  to  remark,  after  the  cautions  we  have  given  against  using 
sand  or  any  coarse  matter  that  can  abrade  the  surface  of  the 
barrel,  that  it  is  only  the  finest  emery  that  should  be  used,  from 
which,  if  judiciously  employed  on  only  one  or  two  such  occasions 
as  these,  no  injurious  effects  can  be  apprehended.  We  need  not 
inform  the  observant  reader  that  iron  or  steel  well  polished  will 
not  attract  rust  so  readily  as  when,  being  slightly  abraded,  it  offers 
small  indentations,  by  which  the  minute  aqueous  particles  are  de- 
tained. It  may  be  asked,  after  all  this.  Would  it  not  be  better  to 
send  the  gun  to  be  repolished  by  the  gunmaker?  It  would  save 
trouble,  we  grant;  but  will  he  not  overdo  the  matter,  and  thus 

weaken  the  barrel?" 

26 


402  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

THE   SHAPE   OF   THE   GUN-STOCK. 

Until  within  a  few  years  the  gun-stock  was  made  rather  short, 
with  a  considerable  bend  or  curvature  in  it ;  now  we  have  gone  to 
the  other  extreme,  and  every  one  is  striving  for  a  long  and  straight 
stock.  This  general  desire  for  long  stocks  is  not  altogether  judi- 
cious or  reasonable,  for  what  suits  one  sportsman  in  this  respect 
will  not  necessarily  suit  all;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  each  one 
should  be  guided  by  the  "peculiar  build  of  his  own  person"  when 
ordering  a  gun  stocked. 

To  exemplify  what  we  mean,  we  may  here  state  that  the  gun- 
smiths of  England  have  arrived  at  such  perfection  in  their  pro- 
fession that  they  actually  measure  their  customers  with  as  much 
precision  as  a  flash  tailor  does  a  dandy,  for  the  purpose  of  ascer- 
taining the  style  of  stock  best  suited  to  their  handling :  the  length 
of  the  arms,  neck,  height,  and  general  carriage  of  the  body,  are 
all  noted,  and  the  stock  is  made  in  accordance  with  the  measure- 
ment. A  clever  gunsmith,  who  understands  his  business  thoroughly, 
will  also  observe  his  customer's  mode  of  raising  and  presenting  the 
gun,  his  manner  of  holding  his  head  while  taking  aim,  and  many 
other  little  indescribable  etceteras  which  are  always  overlooked  by 
a  common  workman,  but  which  are  sources  of  much  information  to 
a  snrewd  mechanic. 

All  sportsmen  know  the  advantage  of  using  a  gun  that  "  comes 
up  to  the  shoulder  right;"  they  also  know  the  inconvenience  as 
well  as  difficulty  of  shooting  with  a  weapon  the  stock  of  which  is 
formed  differently  from  that  which  they  have  been  accustomed 
to  use. 

It  is  natural  to  conclude  that  a  tall,  long-limbed  man  will 
require  a  longer  stock  than  a  shorter  person ;  also  that  a  straight 
stock  will  answer  better  for  a  short-necked,  high-shouldered  man 
than  for  a  long-necked,  low-shouldered  person. 

A  stock  rather  long  is  decidedly  better  than  one  too  short,  and 
we  would  prefer  a  stock  rather  crooked  to  one  too  straight. 

A  straight  stock  is  much  more  suitable  than  a  bent  one  for  a 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  403 

short-necked,  high-shouldered  person,  for  the  simple  reason  that,  in 
fast  shooting,  the  point  of  sight  at  the  end  of  the  gun  would  come 
up  to  the  range  of  the  eye  before  the  butt  could  be  placed  full 
against  the  shoulder,  and  the  consequence  would  be  that  the  piece, 
not  being  held  firmly  against  the  body,  would  recoil  unpleasantly 
at  every  discharge. 

Moreover,  the  gun  not  being  held  on  a  perfect  level,  but  the 
point  of  the  muzzle  actually  higher  than  the  stock,  the  consequence 
will  be  that  the  load  will  be  likely  to  be  carried  over  the  object. 
All  this  can  be  fully  ascertained  by  a  few  trials ;  and,  moreover, 
that  with  an  over-straight  stock  it  will  be  difficult  to  bring  the 
head  down  to  its  proper  level,  even  in  deliberate  shooting. 

The  fashion  of  having  the  stocks  made  straight  and  rather  short 
is  very  much  in  opposition  to  the  most  determined  efforts  at  good 
shooting  on  the  part  of  sportsmen  generally,  and  we  beg  to  warn 
our  friends  against  this  error ;  they  may  rely  upon  our  experience 
in  this  particular,  as  we  have  given  the  subject  much  attention, 
and  are  thoroughly  convinced  that  reasonably  high-mounted  guns 
are  far  preferable  to  the  "low-mounted." 

By  the  term  high-mounted  we  mean  those  guns  which  have  long 
and  considerahly-hent  stocks ;  by  low-mounted  we  designate  those 
pieces  that  have  short  and  straight  stocks. 

Every  sportsman,  before  deciding  definitely  upon  the  purchase 
of  a  gun,  should,  if  possible,  give  the  weapon  a  fair  trial,  which 
can  be  done  very  easily  by  firing  at  a  mark, — not  only  to  ascertain 
the  force  with  which  the  barrels  shoot,  but  more  particularly  to 
satisfy  himself  as  to  the  mounting,  as  above  explained. 

If,  for  example,  the  shooter  looks  steadily  at  some  object  placed 
at  a  convenient  distance  from  him,  and  throws  the  weapon  up  to 
the  proper  range  of  his  eye  and  fires  at  the  very  moment  when  he 
catches  the  sight,  he  will  most  undoubtedly  strike  the  target,  pro- 
vided the  gun  is  mounted  to  suit  him.  If  such,  however,  should 
r'.ot  be  the  case,  the  shot  will  be  thrown  most  probably  either  above 
:x  below  the  mark.  If  the  former  should  be  the  case,  he  will  know 
at  once  that  the  stock  is  too  straight  and  too  short,  or,  as  we  have 


404  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

before  observed,  the  gun  is  too  loiv-mounted  for  his  handling.  If, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  shot  should  fall  helow  the  target,  the  stock 
may  be  too  crooked,  or,  artistically  speaking,  the  piece  is  too  high- 
mounted, 

A  long  stock,  as  above  remarked,  is  generally  preferable  to  a 
short  stock  in  the  hands  of  most  sportsmen,  for  sundry  reasons, 
one  of  which  we  have  not  yet  named,  which  is,  that  those  having 
long  stocks  throw  their  fire  with  more  power,  from  the  circumstance 
that  the  butt  is  always  pressed  more  closely  against  the  shoulder  of 
the  shooter.  Moreover,  there  is  less  recoil  to  be  apprehended  from 
a  long  stock  than  a  short  one,  more  particularly  if  the  stock  should 
be  rather  crooked  as  well  as  long.  Many  sportsmen  ignorantly 
attribute  their  indifferent  shooting  to  the  barrels,  when  they  should 
look  alone  to  the  stocking  and  mounting  of  the  piece;  as  we  are 
satisfied  from  long  observation  that  ''good  shooting,''  in  most  cases, 
depends  far  more  upon  these  contingencies  than  it  does  upon  the 
shooting-properties  of  the  barrels  themselves. 

The  old  habit  of  shaving  off,  or  rather  scooping  out,  the  butt  on 
one  side,  to  allow  the  face  to  come  immediately  behind  the  line  of 
the  barrel,  is  perfectly  unnecessary, — in  fact,  is  opposed  to  good 
shooting,  as  we  cannot  but  think  that  this  shaping  of  the  stock  will 
cause  the  sportsman  at  times  to  shoot  very  irregular. 

OUN-LOCKS. 

Without  a  good  lock,  a  stub-and-twist  barrel  of  the  finest  work- 
manship will  be  of  little  avail,  and  the  one  is  quite  as  difl&cult  to 
be  obtained  as  the  other. 

Since  the  introduction  of  detonators,  however,  sportsmen  pay 
much  less  attention  to  the  workmanship  of  their  gun-locks  than  they 
did  when  flint-guns  were  alone  in  vogue ;  for  then  it  was  absolutely 
necessary  to  have  the  finest-finished  and  best*tempered  locks  that 
could  be  manufactured  by  experienced  artists,  to  insure  the  ra- 
pidity and  certainty  in  shooting  which  is  so  desirable. 

These  two  important  ends  could  not,  of  course,  be  attained  with 
the  old-fashioned  flint  or  steel  lock,  unless  the  various  portions  of 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  405 

the  lock  were  of  the  most  perfect  construction  and  put  together  in 
the  most  artistic  manner.  This,  however,  is  not  the  case  with  the 
detonator ;  a  far  inferior  lock  to  those  that  were  then  manufactured 
with  so  much  care  and  skill  will  answer  an  equally  good  purpose. 
Nevertheless,  they  require  a  considerable  deal  of  care  in  their  fabri- 
cation to  make  them  agreeable  and  serviceable  to  the  sportsman. 

Gun-locks  should  be  manufactured  from  the  hardest  metal,  and 
all  their  parts  filed  and  fitted  in  the  most  beautiful  manner,  with 
springs  of  the  best  construction  and  suitable  strength ;  every  por- 
tion of  the  machinery  should  work  in  perfect  unison,  and,  when  set 
in  motion,  should  glide  over  each  other  with  the  same  smoothness 
and  evenness  observable  in  the  most  elaborate  pieces  of  mechanism. 

Greener  remarks  on  the  subject  in  the  following  words,  and  we  are 
sure  that  every  sportsman  will  heartily  respond  to  such  sentiments : — 

"I  have  always  felt  as  great  pleasure  in  handling  a  gun  with  a 
pair  of  good  locks  as  some  would  experience  in  listening  to  the 
musical  productions  of  the  great  Handel.  There  is  to  me  a  supe- 
rior music  in  the  tick  of  the  scear  on  the  tumbler,  and  the  fine 
elasticity  of  the  mainsprings,  moving  with  a  sort  of  fine,  oily  feel, 
though  light,  as  sharp  as  the  lightning  playing  in  the  heavens." 


Good  locks  can  only  be  obtained  from  the  best  artisans,  and,  to 
insure  their  quality,  should  be  made  to  order  by  those  only  in 
whom  we  have  the  utmost  confidence.  There  is  no  part  of  the  gun 
that  requires  so  much  care  and  skill  as  the  manufacturing  of  the 
lock,  and  consequently  there  is  no  part  in  which  there  is  so  much 
deception  practised.  It  is  impossible  to  judge  of  the  quality  of  a 
lock  by  a  mere  examination  of  its  structure,  as  the  spring,  swivel, 
or  some  other  portion  of  it,  may  soon  grow  weak,  or  give  way 


406  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

entirely  after  a  few  days'  shooting,  if  the  metal  used  in  its  fabri- 
cation is  not  of  the  very  best  kind,  and  put  together  with  the 
skill  so  well  understood  by  an  experienced  and  honest  gunsmith. 
The  attachment  of  the  swivel  and  arrangement  of  the  hole  for  the 
scear-pin  are  the  two  most  important  points  in  the  construction 
of  a  lock,  as  the  one  controls  the  movements  of  the  mainspring, 
while  the  other  imparts  the  proper  play  of  the  scear  on  the  tumbler, 
and  produces  that  agreeable  click  which  every  sportsman  delights 
to  catch  upon  his  ear  when  handling  a  good  gun. 

Locks  can  be  purchased  in  England  from  a  shilling  to  four 
pounds  a  pair.  Great  numbers  of  inferior  locks  are  imported  by 
our  hardware -men. 

GUNPOWDER — ORIGIN,   ETC. 

The  discovery  of  this  powerful  compound,  although  generally 
attributed  to  a  German  named  Schwarz,  a  student  well  skilled  in 
alchemy,  is  nevertheless  conceded  by  most  inquirers  into  the  sub- 
ject to  have  been  well  known  to  some  of  the  more  enlightened 
nations  of  the  ancients,  and  more  particularly,  at  a  very  early 
period,  to  the  ingenious  inhabitants  of  the  Celestial  Empire,  as  we 
have  stated  in  another  place. 

Some  investigators  of  the  subject  assert  that  it  was  in  use  by 
the  Chinese  about  or  a  short  time  after  the  commencement  of  the 
Christian  era;  and  this  curious  people  themselves  even  claim  its 
invention  and  general  use  for  ages  prior  to  this  period.  Whether 
this  be  so  or  not,  we  believe  that  it  is  granted  by  all  hands  that 
Berthold  Schwarz's  discovery  of  the  compound  was  perfectly  ori- 
ginal in  himself,  and  that  therefore  he  should  not  be  shorn  of  the 
immortal  celebrity  that  is  and  will  ever  be  attached  to  his  name. 
The  ingredients  used  in  the  manufacture  of  gunpowder  are  pretty 
generally  the  same  all  over  the  world,  each  maker  having,  of 
course,  his  own  ideas  regarding  the  proportions  of  the  three  articles 
— nitre,  charcoal,  and  sulphur — to  be  employed. 

The  best  English,  Scotch,  or  French  sporting-powders  are  not  so 
strong  as  the  American.     The  average  proportion  of  the  ingredients 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  407 

composing  the  English  powder,  put  up  in  small  tin  canisters  or 
wrapped  in  cartridge-paper  for  the  use  of  sportsmen,  is  as  follows : — 
nitre  seventy-five  parts,  charcoal  fifteen,  sulphur  ten. 

Dupont's  powder  is  more  generally  used  by  sportsmen  through- 
out our  country  than  any  other;  it  is  more  powerful  than  the 
English  powder,  being  compounded  of — nitre  seventy-seven  parts, 
charcoal  thirteen,  sulphur  ten. 

This  powder  is  put  up  in  small  tin  canisters  of  a  pound  each, 
and  in  this  way  is  entirely  protected  from  the  moisture  that  is  so 
hurtful  to  it.  Of  its  quality  we  need  say  nothing,  as  its  long  cele- 
brity is  a  sufficient  guarantee  of  its  worth. 

When  packed  as  above,  expressly  for  the  use  of  sportsmen, 
Dupont's  powder  costs  nearly  double  as  much  as  it  does  when  pur- 
chased in  small  six-pound  kegs;  but  the  universal  satisfaction  it 
afibrds,  and  the  convenience  and  safety  of  carriage,  give  it  a 
decided  preference  in  the  eyes  of  most  sportsmen,  notwithstand- 
ing the  additional  price  asked  for  it. 

VARIETIES   OF  GUNPOWDER. 

The  principal  and  most  appreciable  difference  in  the  manufacture 
of  gunpowder  is  its  division  into  coarse  and  fine-grained,  glazed 
and  unglazed. 

The  first  variety — the  coarse-grained  powder — is  used  princi- 
pally for  all  species  of  large  fire-arms,  and  undoubtedly  is  the  most 
powerful  of  the  two  kinds ;  at  all  events,  we  have  arrived  at  this 
conclusion  from  experiments  tried  while  duck-shooting,  and  we  are 
supported  in  our  observations  by  many  respectable  authorities; 
that  is,  we  wish  to  be  understood  that  an  ounce  of  coarse-grained 
powder  is  more  powerful  than  an  ounce  of  fine-grained  powder, 
both  of  the  same  manufacture  and  of  equal  proportions.  The 
superior  strength  or  projectile  force  of  the  coarse-grained  has  been 
accounted  for  on  principles  which,  to  our  mind,  are  both  reason- 
able and  convincing,  and  may  be  explained  by  the  perusal  of  the 
following  extract  taken  from  Greener's  work  on  this  subject : — "  I 
have  always  thought  and  am  quite  convinced  that  powder  is  made 


408  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

too  small  in  the  grain.  For  what  purpose  it  is  made  so,  except  to 
please  the  gunmakers,  I  never  could  imagine.  I  have  no  hesitation 
in  asserting  that,  if  you  obtain  powder  of  fine  grain  and  powder 
composed  of  the  same  quality  of  ingredients  coarser  grained,  the 
latter  will  be  found  to  be  stronger  than  the  former.  This  I  have 
tried  in  various  ways,  both  by  the  rifle  and  the  musket,  and  the 
same  quantity  of  the  coarser  invariably  gives  the  longer  range.  It 
is  owing,  in  my  opinion,  to  each  grain  containing  within  itself 
greater  force.  When  one  is  ignited,  its  eiFect  is  greater  than  that 
of  several  small  ones.  Four  times  the  quantity  of  small-grained 
has  to  be  ignited  to  generate  the  same  force  as  is  required  of  the 
larger-grained.  Again,  the  small  grain  is  generally  coated  with  a 
sort  of  varnish,  which  must  be  injurious  to  its  quickness.  Another 
advantage  the  larger  grain  possesses  is,  that  from  its  size  it  is  less 
liable  to  be  completely  compressed  into  a  solid  state,  and  from  the 
largeness  of  the  interstices  around  them  more  atmospheric  air  is 
contained  in  a  body,  which  must  greatly  benefit  it  in  igniting ;  aa 
without  question  (though  it  is  possible  to  fire  powder  in  vacuo)  it 
will  burn  better  with  the  assistance  of  atmospheric  air." 

The  duck-shooters  of  our  country,  without  exception,  use  the 
coarse-grained  powder,  not  only  because  they  know  it  to  be  stronger, 
but  because  it  attracts,  or  rather  absorbs,  a  much  less  quantity  of 
atmospheric  moisture  than  the  fine.  We  recollect  on  one  occasion, 
when  shooting  canvas-backs  from  one  of  the  points  at  the  Spesutia 
Narrows,  by  some  unfortunate  mishap  both  barrels  of  our  gun 
became  suddenly  disabled,  one  from  the  flying  off  of  the  pivot, 
and  the  other  from  some  trifling  derangement  in  the  machinery  of 
the  lock.  The  morning  was  a  very  fine  one  for  the  flight  of  ducks, 
and  they  were  passing  over  our  heads  ever  and  anon,  in  countless 
numbers  and  at  a  fair  shooting-distance.  Unhappily  for  us,  how- 
ever, we  were  forced,  nolens  volens,  to  be  a  silent  spectator,  and 
not,  as  was  our  wont,  an  active  participator  in  the  scenes  around 
us.  One  of  our  sporting  companions,  a  thorough  blood  in  this 
line,  and  we  might  term  him  a  "duck-shooter  by  profession"  as 
well  as  a  "duck-shooter  by  education,"  as  he  had  done  little  else 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  409 

but  destroy  ducks  ever  since  he  was  big  enough  to  shoulder  his 
father's  old  musket  and  take  sight  over  a  ''blind," — having  pain- 
fully injured  the  thumb  of  his  right  hand,  we,  having  nothing  better 
to  do,  volunteered  to  load  his  gun  for  him,  on  condition  of  a  fair 
proportion  of  the  spoils.  Having  our  patent  powder-flask  with  us, 
and  being  accustomed  to  its  use  as  well  as  satisfied  with  its  safety, 
we  very  naturally  commenced  loading  from  its  contents,  and  con- 
tinued so  to  do  for  a  considerable  time,  while  our  friend  was 
banging  away  at  every  moment,  but,  strange  to  say,  bringing  down 
scarcely  a  single  victim,  although  those  around  us  were  heaping  up 
piles  about  them ;  and  so  did  our  partner  till  we  commenced  load- 
ing for  him.  The  old  veteran  could  not  account  for  his  bad  shooting, 
and  attributed  every  miss  to  some  new  cause,  first  one  thing  and 
then  another,  cursed  the  gun,  damned  the  ducks,  and  finally  gave 
up  in  despair.  We  of  course  were  equally  as  much  surprised  at 
his  want  of  success,  and  even  took  the  gun  from  his  hands  and 
essayed  a  few  shots,  but  without  much  effect.  The  morning  had 
now  fully  broken,  and,  upon  closer  inquiry  into  the  cause  of  this 
bad  shooting,  our  partner  ascertained,  to  his  no  small  horror,  that 
we  had  been  loading  all  the  time  with  fine-grained  canister-powder, 
instead  of  the  coarse-grained  article  which  all  duckers  prefer ;  in 
fact,  they  object  to  using  any  other  kind. 

The  indignation  of  our  friend  was  great  when  he  made  this 
discovery ;  and  his  vanity  of  shooting  well,  which  had  been  on 
the  wane  for  the  previous  half-hour,  was  now  fully  appeased, 
as  he  declared  that  ''such  stuff,''  meaning  the  fine  powder,  was 
not  fit  to  make  a  squib  of,  let  alone  bring  down  a  savory  canvas- 
back. 

This  powder,  however,  we  had  been  using  the  day  before  on 
partridges,  and  had  succeeded  in  killing  five  brace  with  it  without 
much  difficulty.  This  anecdote  certainly  goes  to  demonstrate  how 
strong  the  prejudice  is  among  duck-shooters  in  favor  of  the  coarse 
powder,  and  at  the  same  time  proves  conclusively  that,  though  it 
would  kill  partridges  at  a  reasonable  distance,  it  had  not  force 
enough  to  carry  heavy  shot  as  strongly  as  the  common  coarse- 


410  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

grained  powder,  such  as  is  sold  in  the  small  country  shops,  from 
which  source  our  friend  always  procured  his  supply ;  for  as  soon 
as  he  loaded  with  it  the  ducks  came  tumbling  down  right  and 
left. 

GLAZED   POWDER. 

Some  powder  is  glazed  and  some  not.  The  comparative  strength 
of  the  two  kinds  is  not  much,  if  at  all,  affected  by  the  process 
which  it  undergoes  in  glazing,  as  the  grains  are  merely  triturated 
with  blacklead,  to  give  them  the  glossy  appearance  which  they 
present. 

It  is  deemed  absolutely  indispensable  that  all  military  powder 
should  be  glazed,  to  prevent  the  formation  of  too  much  dust  by  af- 
friction  in  its  transport  from  place  to  place ;  as  it  is  a  well-esta- 
blished fact  that  a  charge  of  powder  compressed  into  a  solid,  dense 
mass,  as  it  necessarily  would  be  if  its  whole  granular  as  well  as 
angular  construction  was  destroyed  by  pulverization,  must  lose 
some  of  its  propulsion  by  the  slowness  of  combustion. 

As  has  been  remarked  by  Greener,  "though  it  is  possible  to  fire 
powder  in  vacuo,"  still,  the  presence  of  a  certain  amount  of  air 
in  the  interstices  of  any  combustible  mass  will  greatly  facilitate 
the  rapid  penetration  of  the  flame  through  it,  and  consequently 
increase  the  projectile  power  dependent  upon  its  instantaneous 
combustion.  Commenting  on  Dapont's  sporting-powder.  Captain 
Mordecai,  of  the  Ordnance  Department,  remarks  as  follows : — 
"Dupont's  very  fine-grained  sporting-powder,  being  thoroughly  in- 
corporated, free  from  dust,  and  composed  of  angular  grains,  although 
highly  glazed,  far  surpasses  all  the  other  kinds  in  quickness." 
Further  on,  he  again  observes : — "  The  great  and  uniform  superiority 
of  Dupont's  fine  sporting-powder,  even  in  large  charges  in  the 
cannon,  evinces  the  combined  effect  of  the  most  careful  preparation 
of  the  materials,  their  thorough  incorporation,  perfect  drying,  and 
high  glazing,  all  of  which  are  favorable  not  only  to  the  production 
of  the  greatest  inherent  force  of  the  composition,  but  to  the  quick 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  411 

combustion  of  the  grains  and  to  the  rapid  transmission  of  the 
flame  through  the  whole  mass  of  the  powder."* 

TESTS   FOR   POWDER. 

English  sporting-powder,  when  good,  is  found  to  impart  scarcely 
any  color  to  the  hand  when  crushed  in  the  palm  with  the  thumb. 
American  powder,  to  be  perfect,  should  be  equally  free  from  all 
charcoal  appearances.  There  is  a  simple  method  of  ascertaining 
the  quality  of  powder,  which  in  some  measure  may  be  relied  on. 
If  a  small  quantity  be  placed  upon  a  sheet  of  white  paper  and 
exploded,  it  should  burn  with  a  sudden  white  smoke,  accompanied 
with  a  peculiar  sharp  report,  or  rather  phiz^  that  the  ear  soon  be- 
comes familiar  with  and  easily  detects.  There  should  be  nothing 
left  on  the  paper  after  the  explosion  if  the  powder  be  superior ;  if, 
however,  the  residuum  be  blackish  matter,  the  probability  is  that 
there  is  too  much  carbon  in  the  powder;  if  the  paper  should 
exhibit  a  dotted  appearance,  with  little  black  splotches  over  it,  we 
would  be  led  to  suppose  that  the  sulphur  or  nitre  was  inferior  in 
quality  and  badly  incorporated. 


It  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  ascertain  the  real  pulsion  of  powder, 
even  by  subjecting  it  to  the  test  of  the  epreuvette, — an  instrument 

*  See  report  of  experiments  on  gunpowder,  made  at  Washington  Arsenal  by  Cap- 
tain Mordecai. 


412  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN.  / 

in  common  use  in  England,  but  scarcely  known  in  this  country, 
and  on  this  account  deserving  of  notice  in  this  place. 

The  epreuvette,  though  the  most  perfect  of  all  small  instruments 
yet  invented  for  the  purpose  of  testing  the  strength  of  gunpowder, 
if  not  used  properly  will  often  give  very  unsatisfactory  results. 
The  construction  of  the  epreuvette  should  be  perfect  in  all  its 
parts,  more  particularly  in  the  spring  which  controls  the  move- 
ments of  the  wheel  on  which  the  graduations  are  marked.  The 
mouth-piece,  or  rather  the  piece  which  closes  the  muzzle  of  the 
epreuvette  and  is  attached  to  the  grading-wheel,  should  fit  closely 
in  its  place,  so  as  not  to  allow  any  space  to  be  seen  between  the 
two  surfaces  when  held  up  to  the  light. 

One  trial  is  not  sufficient  to  test  the  momentum  of  the  powder ; 
it  will  be  better  to  make  several,  and  then  take  the  average  of  the 
whole.  The  chamber  should  be  nicely  cleaned  after  each  fire, 
provided  we  wish  to  obtain  a  close  analysis. 

POWDER    PRESERVED   FROM   MOISTURE. 

Powder  should  be  kept  dry  and  never  exposed  to  a  humid  atmo- 
sphere, as  it  has  a  great  tendency  to  imbibe  moisture  and  will  soon 
become  unfit  for  service.  If  by  any  mishap  it  should  become  damp, 
it  can  be  dried  before  the  fire,  or  in  the  sun,  on  a  metal  dish ;  a  coal 
fire  is  the  proper  kind  of  fire  before  which  to  dry  it, — a  wood-fire 
being  rather  dangerous,  owing  to  the  chance  of  sparks  flying  out,  as 
they  frequently  do,  more  particularly  if  the  wood  be  wet  or  green. 
We  have  dried  our  powder  more  than  once  by  putting  the  dish 
which  contained  it  on  top  of  a  brick  placed  on  a  stove. 

The  fact  of  the  tendency  of  powder  to  absorb  moisture  may  be 
very  fairly  and  satisfactorily  demonstrated  by  accurately  weighing 
a  certain  proportion  of  the  article,  and  placing  it  in  a  humid  situa- 
tion for  a  few  hours,  when  it  will  be  found  that  it  has  increased 
very  perceptibly  in  weight,  owing  to  the  imbibition  of  the  aqueous 
particles  of  the  moist  air.  All  circumstances  being  equal,  small- 
grained  powder  will  necessarily  absorb  moisture  more  rapidly  than 
large-grained,  for  the  simple  reason  that,  in  a  given  weight  of 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  413 

either,  the  smaller  the  grain  the  larger  the  surface  exposed  to  the 
effects  of  the  atmosphere.  The  projectile  force  of  powder  is  con- 
siderably diminished  by  dampness,  because,  its  combustion  being 
much  slower,  a  large  proportion  must  necessarily  be  driven  out  of 
the  gun  before  the  whole  mass  is  entirely  consumed,  and  the 
explosion  consequently  must  be  weakened,  as  the  phenomena  at- 
tending the  burning  of  gunpowder  are  accounted  for  by  the  sudden 
and  rapid  generation  of  an  elastic  fluid,  which  of  course  will  not 
be  properly  created  by  the  slow  and  unequal  combustion  of  a  damp 
compound. 

If  the  nitre  used  in  the  manufacture  of  powder  is  not  perfectly 
pure  and  thoroughly  embodied  with  the  other  ingredients,  it  will 
not  burn  with  the  rapidity  necessary  for  the  generation  of  the 
projectile  force  inherent  in  this  compound  when  all  its  constitu- 
ents are  properly  incorporated. 

The  mere  circumstance  of  powder  absorbing  moisture  when  ex- 
posed to  its  effects,  with  more  than  ordinary  rapidity,  is  a  positive 
proof  of  its  inferiority,  and  is  a  sure  evidence  that  the  nitre  is  not 
pure,  and  that  it  contains  some  portion  of  muriate  of  soda,  which 
substance  is  generally  found  in  combination  with  it  in  its  natural 
state,  and  which  every  one  of  the  least  observation  is  perfectly 
aware  attracts  humidity  with  singular  facility.*  If  the  powder  is 
moist,  besides  losing  a  considerable  portion  of  its  strength,  it  soon 
fouls  the  gun,  the  grains  become  caked  together,  and  will  not  enter 
the  nipple-hole,  &c.  For  these  reasons,  the  sportsman  will  be 
convinced  that  he  cannot  be  too  careful  of  his  powder,  and  will 
take  every  necessary  precaution  to  prevent  the  subtle  compound 
from  imbibing  the  particles  of  moisture  with  which  the  air  is  loaded 
during  muggy  weather,  more  particularly  on  the  bay-shore,  when 


*  Captain  Mordecai,  referring  to  experiments  made  with  some  powders  manufac- 
tured at  the  Eastward,  remarks  : — "In  consequence  of  the  impurity  of  the  saltpetre 
in  these  powders,  a  great  quantity  of  moisture  is  rapidly  absorbed  by  them ;  the 
deliquescent  salts  in  the  nitre  are  dissolved,  the  grains  become  so  moist  as  to  hold 
in  solution  the  nitre,  which  becomes  separated  from  the  other  components,  and  the 
powder  is  soon  rendered  completely  unserviceable." 


414  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

in  quest  of  water-fowl.  It  should  always  be  kept  in  tin  canisters, 
and  never  be  trusted  to  paper,  which  of  itself  has  a  tendency  to 
absorb  dampness,  to  say  nothing  of  the  danger  of  having  packages 
of  powder  carelessly  wrapped  in  old  newspaper  and  lying  about. 
A  package  of  this  kind,  containing  nearly  half  a  pound  of  powder, 
we  know  of  having  been  thrown  into  the  fire  by  a  thrifty  house- 
wife, who  mistook  it  for  a  bundle  of  rubbish  that  she  had  collected 
up  in  a  similar  paper  a  few  moments  before,  for  the  purpose  of 
consigning  it  to  the  flames.  The  consequences  of  this  unpar- 
donable carelessness  on  the  part  of  the  sportsman  might  have 
proved  very  serious  to  us  all,  had  not  the  accident  been  observed 
by  a  brother  chum  sitting  close  by,  who,  with  admirable  courage 
and  presence  of  mind,  seized  the  burning  package  with  the  tongs, 
and,  rushing  with  it  to  the  window,  which  had  been  opened  a  few 
moments  before  for  the  purpose  of  taking  an  observation  of  the 
weather,  threw  it  out,  where  in  a  moment  or  two  it  exploded  with 
a  tremendous  noise,  but  fortunately  did  no  mischief. 

It  is  almost  useless  for  us  to  warn  the  sportsman  to  be  careful, 
when  drying  powder,  to  expose  as/  little  as  possible  at  a  time  to 
the  fire,  or  he  may  blow  the  roof  off"  the  house,  and  perhaps  blow 
himself  out  of  the  window.  With  proper  caution,  there  is  no 
more  danger  in  drying  powder  than  there  would  be  in  heating  so 
much  sand ;  but  in  the  hands  of  a  careless  or  reckless  person  the 
process  would  be  rather  hazardous. 

PROPERLY   LOADING   THE   GUN. 

The  art  of  rightly  proportioning  the  charge  for  our  piece  is  not 
so  easy  a  matter  as  many  suppose ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  it  requires 
considerable  judgment  and  experience  to  ascertain  the  exact 
quantity  of  powder  and  shot  that  a  piece  will  best  carry.  If  we 
wish  to  ascertain  this  fact  conclusively,  a  series  of  experiments 
should  be  instituted  immediately  after  the  purchase  of  our  gun; 
in  truth,  every  sportsman  should  settle  this  important  fact  to  his 
entire  satisfaction  at  once,  as  we  can  assure  him  that  much  of  his 
success  in  shooting  depends  upon  the  proper  loading  of  his  piece. 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  415 

If  the  gun  be  overcii<arged,  as  is  much  too  often  the  case  both 
with  powder  and  shot,  the  whole  load  will  be  carried  out  of  the 
barrel  with  an  unequal,  unsteady,  and  wild  impetuosity,  very  dif- 
ferent from  the  regular,  easy,  and  determined  motion  imparted  to  it 
by  a  proper  proportion  of  each.  The  gun,  no  matter  how  tightly 
grasped,  if  overloaded,  will  spring  from  the  hand,  and  a  recoil 
more  or  less  severe  will  be  felt  at  the  shoulder.  This  should  never 
occur  in  small  fire-arms.  In  large  duck-guns  a  slight  recoil  is 
excusable;  but  even  in  these  pieces  proper  loading  will  almost 
invariably  remedy  the  evil  if  the  gun  is  skilfully  constructed; 
and  if  after  judicious  management  it  still  proves  incorrigible,  the 
weapon  had  better  be  sold  for  want  of  use,  or  placed  in  the  hands 
of  some  one  who  cares  but  little  for  a  bruised  arm  and  a  sore 
shoulder. 

As  before  said,  a  series  of  experiments  should  be  instituted  to 
find  the  exact  charge  that  suits  your  gun  best;  that  is,  what 
proportion  of  powder  and  what  proportion  of  shot  will  kill  the 
farthest  with  the  greatest  certainty.  This  can  be  accomplished 
by  firing  at  sheets  of  paper  at  a  distance  of  forty  yards  with 
different-sized  loads,  and  marking  down  the  result  of  each 
discharge. 

To  make  this  chapter  more  complete,  we  cannot  do  better  than 
introduce  a  few  paragraphs  from  Greener  on  this  subject,  and  at 
the  same  time  remark  that  every  sportsman  will  derive  abundance 
of  information  appertaining  to  the  gun  by  the  perusal  of  that 
writer's  highly  instructive  work : — 

"I  have  repeatedly  stated  that  all  guns  will  burn  a  certain 
quantity  of  powder;  you  must,  therefore,  ascertain  what  that 
quantity  is,  which  can  only  be  done  by  practice.  Suppose  you 
begin  with  two  drachms,  and  vary  the  charge  one-eighth  of  a 
drachm  each  shot  up  to  three  drachms  and  a  half,  or  as  may  be 
required,  according  to  the  length  and  bore  of  the  gun,  and,  for 
precision,  taking  three  shots  with  each  charge  at  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  sheets  of  paper;  whichever  you  find  strongest  with  the 
least  quantity  of  powder,  that  is  the  best  charge,  as  very  likely 


416  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

the  two  next  additions  of  powder  will  shoot  equally  strong,  and 
yet  not  stronger,  because  more  of  it  remains  unburnt.  Therefore, 
the  least  quantity  which  shoots  equally  strong  is  the  proper  charge, 
which  having  once  ascertained,  never  change  for  any  person's 
plan. 

"Next  as  to  the  charge  of  shot.  All  guns,  according  to  their 
bore  and  length,  will  shoot  a  certain  weight  and  a  certain  size  of 
shot  best.  A  great  deal  of  shot  in  a  small  bore  lies  too  far  up  the 
barrel,  and  creates  an  unnecessary  friction ;  and  the  shot,  by  the 
compression  at  the  moment  of  explosion,  becomes  all  shapes, — a 
circumstance  which  materially  affects  its  flight.  If  of  too  great  a 
weight,  the  powder  has  not  power  to  drive  it  with  that  speed  and 
force  required  to  be  efficacious,  because  the  weight  is  too  great  in 
proportion.  Those  who  reason  with  mathematical  calculation  will 
object  to  this  doctrine.  Say  they.  The  greater  the  weight  the 
greater  the  eff'ect.  No  doubt  it  is  so,  if  thrown  with  a  propor- 
tionate force ;  but  that  cannot  be  obtained  with  a  small  gun.  We 
must  adapt  the  weight  of  projectile  force  to  the  power  we  are  in 
possession  of;  and,  from  many  experiments,  I  am  inclined  to  think 
that  a  fourteen-gauge  two-feet-cight  barrel  shoidd  never  be  loaded 
with  above  an  ounce  and  a  half  of  shot,  (No.  6  will  suit  her  best,) 
and  the  utmost  powder  she  will  burn.  A  fifteen-gauge  will  not 
require  more  than  one  ounce  and  one-fourth;  and  no  doubt  No.  7 
would  be  thrown  by  her  quite  as  strong  as  No.  6  by  the  fourteen- 
gauge  gun,  and  do  as  much  execution  at  forty  yards  with  less 
recoil;  and,  setting  aside  all  other  reasons,  I  should,  on  this  ac- 
count, prefer  the  fifteen-gauge  gun,  if  both  be  of  a  length,  finding 
I  can  do  as  much  execution  at  the  same  distance  with  the  one  as 
with  the  other.  To  render  a  fourteen-gauge  barrel  superior,  I 
think  Colonel  Hawker  is  right  in  stating  that  it  should  never  be 
under  thirty-four  inches,  which  description  of  barrel  I  very  much 
approve." 

A  drachm  of  Dupont's  sporting  canister-powder  will  be  a  suffi- 
cient charge  with  which  to  commence  these  experiments. 

The  sheets  of  paper  for  our  target  should  not  be  less  than  a 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  417 

dozen  in  number ;  and  the  charge  that  fires  the  strongest  and  keeps 
the  shot  in  the  most  compact  round  form  is  the  one  best  adapted 
for  the  gun.  A.  most  erroneous  idea  exists  among  young  sports- 
men as  regards  loading:  many  suppose  that  by  increasing  the 
quantity  of  shot  they  also  increase  the  chances  of  killing,  because, 
as  they  say,  there  is  a  much  greater  number  of  pellets  to  be  driven 
against  the  object  fired  at.  This,  however,  is  not  the  case,  as  the 
shot,  in  the  first  place,  being  too  heavy  for  the  charge  of  powder, 
does  not  receive  the  same  degree  of  projectile  force  from  its 
explosion  that  it  would  if  both  were  properly  proportioned; 
and,  moreover,  the  quantity  of  shot  being  too  great,  the  pellets 
strike  against  each  other  in  their  course  and  become  disarranged; 
the  recoil  is  also  considerably  increased,  and  the  gun  may  be 
bursted. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  too  much  powder  is  used,  it  flies  wildly 
out  of  the  barrel  unconsumed,  as  may  be  seen  by  firing  at  a  sheet 
of  paper  at  a  distance  of  fifteen  yards  or  so,  when  the  grains  of 
powder  will  be  found  forced  into  the  paper  instead  of  being  con- 
sumed by  the  explosion. 

In  fact,  the  whole  theory  of  loading  and  overloading  guns  may 
be  summed  up  in  a  few  words.  Every  gun  should  be  loaded  in 
accordance  with  its  bore  and  weight,  and  the  greater  nicety  that 
the  sportsman  displays  in  arriving  at  these  proportions,  the  more 
beautiful  will  be  his  shooting;  for  it  is  well  ascertained  by  the 
numerous  experiments  of  those  well  versed  in  the  subject,  and 
may  be  laid  down  as  an  hypothesis,  or  rather  axiom,  that  if  the 
quantity  of  shot  be  too  great  the  elastic  force  of  the  discharge  is 
diminished  and  the  recoil  considerably  increased ;  and,  if  the  charge 
of  powder  be  also  increased  in  the  same  ratio  with  the  shot,  the 
recoil  will  be  doubly  increased,  perhaps  to  the  bursting  of  the 
barrels,  and  the  pellets  of  shot  will  be  expelled  from  the  piece 
helter-skelter,  in  any  direction  but  a  direct  course. 

The  larger  the  charge  of  powder,  the  more  will  the  shot  be 

scattered,  and  we  have  but  one  alternative  in  making  long  shots, 

and  that  is,  to  load  with  the  usual  quantity  of  powder,  but  make 

27 


418  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMA>. 

use  of  larger-sized  shot,  as  no  advantage  whatever  is  gained  by 
increasing  the  charge  of  powder  beyond  the  proper  measure. 


BURSTING   OF  GUNS.      COMMODORE   STOCKTON'S   EXPERIMENTS. 
RECOIL,    ETC. 

There  are  innumerable  causes  which  tend  to  the  bursting  of  gun- 
barrels,  even  those  of  the  most  approved  workmanship ;  it  is  not 
astonishing,  therefore,  that  those  manufactured  of  inferior  metal 
and  put  together  by  second-rate  artists  should  frequently  be  torn 
to  pieces  while  under  the  management  of  reckless  and  ignorant 
shooters.  Although  there  are  immense  numbers  of  guns  imported 
into  this  country,  both  from  England  and  Germany,  that  could  not 
stand  the  test  of  the  proof-house,  still,  they  are  made  of  sufficiently 
good  metal  to  bear  the  explosion  of  powder  to  a  certain  extent^ 
and,  if  handled  with  caution,  might  perform  many  years  of  good 
service  without  endangering  the  lives  of  their  owners.  We  do  not, 
however,  wish  our  readers  to  construe  this  concession  of  ours  in 
reference  to  these  trashy  guns  into  a  favorable  notice  of  them,  as 
we  consider  the  use  of  weapons  of  a  doubtful  character,  such  as 
these  are,  as  rather  too  hazardous  an  experiment  for  any  one  of 
our  sporting  friends  to  venture  upon. 

We  will  now  endeavor  to  point  out  some  of  the  causes  that  are 
calculated  to  produce  bursting  not  only  in  barrels  manufactured 
of  inferior  metal,  but  even  in  those  forged  out  of  the  most  superior 
iron  and  wrought  with  the  greatest  care. 

The  first  grand  cause  of  bursting  springs  from  the  forge,  as 
before  stated ;  and  every  one  knows  full  well  that  many  manu- 
facturers of  guns  use  metal  of  very  inferior  description ;  and  when 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  419 

the  bars  are  being  welded  into  barrels,  the  artificers  themselves  are 
guilty  of  most  culpable  negligence  and  recklessness,  little  heeding 
the  limbs  lost  and  lives  sacrificed  by  their  bad  workmanship. 

If  a  barrel  be  either  welded,  bored,  or  filed  badly,  even  if  it  be 
made  of  good  metal,  it  may  nevertheless  burst  under  the  manage- 
ment of  the  most  careful  sportsman.  If  the  thickness  of  the  bar- 
rel is  not  uniform  throughout  its  entire  length,  but  weaker  at  one 
point  than  at  another,  owing  to  a  flaw  in  the  metal,  overfiling,  or 
rude  boring,  it  will  most  probably  burst,  if  overcharged,  as  the 
expansive  force  of  the  powder  acts  with  increased  vigor  upon  these 
weak  points,  owing  to  the  resistance  it  meets  with  from  the  stronger 
portions  of  the  tube. 

If  the  subtle  fluid  generated  by  the  inflammation  of  gunpowder 
be  suddenly  compressed  or  checked  by  a  contraction  in  the  calibre 
of  the  barrel,  an  undue  proportion  of  the  expansive  force  is  exerted 
upon  this  point,  and  the  result  may  be  the  bursting  of  the  instru- 
ment. This  fact  will  of  itself  show  the  folly  of  attempting  to  increase 
the  shooting-powers  of  the  gun  by  unequal  boring  of  the  barrel,  or 
rather  the  contracting  of  the  diameter  of  the  calibre  at  some  given 
point  in  its  length,  as  has  been  practised  by  some  ignorant  gun- 
smiths. We  cannot  imagine  any  cause  better  calculated  to  burst 
a  fowling-piece  than  the  contraction  of  its  regular  calibre  from 
this  erroneous  method  of  boring,  and  would  rather  trust  ourselves 
with  a  straight-bored  barrel  made  of  far  inferior  metal,  than  with 
one  of  these  ill-shapen  instruments  forged  of  the  very  best  stub- 
and-twist.  If  the  muzzle  of  the  gun  becomes  stopped  up  with  dirt 
or  snow  while  in  the  act  of  springing  over  a  ditch,  or  from  a  fall, 
and  the  extraneous  matter  should  be  of  a  consistency  sufficiently 
hard  to  ofier  any  considerable  degree  of  resistance  to  the  expulsive 
force  of  the  powder,  the  barrel  will  be  bursted  without  fail  near  its 
mouth ;  and  the  same  accident  will  more  readily  occur  if  the  mouth 
of  the  piece  be  sunk  a  few  inches  below  the  surface  of  the  water,  as 
the  resistance  offered  by  this  fluid  to  the  passage  of  the  load  under 
such  circumstances  is  far  more  powerful  than  that  presented  by  the 
thin  sides  of  the  barrel,  and  the  weaker  antagonism  must  necessarily 


420  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

give  way  to  the  stronger.  That  a  gun  will  burst  very  readily  if  the 
muzzle  be  sunk  a  few  inches  under  the  water,  we  have  not  the  least 
doubt ;  and  an  accident  which  happened  to  an  acquaintance  of  ours, 
some  years  since,  confirms  us  in  the  opinion. 

A  fowling-piece  may  also  burst  from  bad  loading;  we  do  not 
mean  entirely  from  overcharging,  but  sometimes  from  the  want  of 
proper  precaution  in  ramming  down  the  shot  on  the  powder,  or  the 
moving  of  the  wad  of  one  barrel  by  the  jar  communicated  to  it  by 
the  explosion  of  the  other.  Bursting  from  this  latter  cause  is 
occasioned  by  the  sudden  accumulation  and  increased  expansion 
of  the  elastic  fluid  behind  the  object  offering  the  resistance,  or  rather 
is  the  consequence  of  the  sudden  check  given  to  its  steady  exit 
from  the  barrel. 

A  ball  thus  impacted  in  the  barrel  of  a  small  gun,  musket,  or 
rifle,  will  be  most  likely  to  burst  the  piece,  if  fired ;  such,  at  least, 
is  the  generally-received  opinion. 

This  belief,  however,  like  many  other  vulgar  errors  that  have 
descended  by  repetition  from  one  to  another  without  any  detail  of 
experiments  entered  into  necessary  to  establish  the  facts  upon  a 
certain  and  indisputable  basis,  may  not  be  altogether  correct. 

Commodore  Stockton,  in  his  paper  containing  experiments  on 
ordnance  instituted  by  permission  of  the  Navy  Department,  and 
ktely  read  before  the  American  Philosophical  Society,  opposes 
this  long-received  doctrine  of  explosion,  and  proves  very  conclu- 
sively, in  some  description  of  large  guns  at  least,  that  they  in- 
variably burst  with  a  smaller  charge  when  the  ball  was  nearer  the 
powder  than  when  it  was  at  a  distance ;  and,  also,  that  the  burst- 
ing took  place  with  the  shot  at  the  shortest  distance  from  the 
powder,  after  sustaining  the  same  charges  at  a  longer  distance. 

These  experiments  and  their  results  certainly  go  to  prove  that 
such  is  the  fact  in  large  guns  of  equal  calibre  and  size  throughout 
their  whole  extent ;  but  they  prove  nothing,  in  our  judgment,  in 
the  case  of  small  fire-arms  of  unequal  strength  and  weight  of 
metal. 

Commodore   Stockton   also  shows   most   conclusively  thai  the 


MISCiELLANEOUS    HINTS.  421 

greatest  internal  pressure  at  the  moment  of  the  discharge  is  at 
that  part  of  the  gun  occupied  by  the  powder. 

Although  the  facts  elicited  from  these  interesting  and  highly 
instructive  experiments  are  very  conclusive,  so  far  as  they  have 
a  bearing  on  large  guns  of  one  hundred  pounds*  weight  or  more 
and  of  like  dimensions  throughout  their  entire  length,  they  do  not 
certainly  establish  any  thing,  as  before  remarked,  either  ^ro  or  con,, 
as  to  the  old  theory  respecting  small  fire-arms;  we  are  conse- 
quently forced  to  adhere  to  the  ancient  doctrine  of  explosion,  and 
still  believe  that  a  fowling-piece  is  more  apt  to  burst  with  a  wad  or 
a  ball  far  up  the  barrel  than  if  pushed  home  upon  the  shot  or  pow- 
der. This  phenomenon  we  can  account  for  in  a  way  quite  satis- 
factory, at  least  to  our  mind,  by  supposing  that  when  the  powder 
is  ignited,  and  the  expansive  fluid  generated  by  this  inflammation 
is  set  in  motion,  and,  striving  to  overcome  the  resistance  ofiered  by 
the  sides  of  the  barrel  which  enclose  it,  rushes  forward  up  the  bar- 
rel with  that  certain  degree  of  propulsive  force  inherent  within  it- 
self, and  without  having  any  positive  obstruction  in  its  way  to  arrest 
its  onward  course  till  it  meets  with  the  barrier  opposed  to  its  exit, 
in  the  shape  of  a  wad,  ball,  mud,  snow,  or  some  other  article  which 
might  be  lodged  in  the  barrel  either  by  design  or  accident,  this 
sudden  check  to  its  wild  career  creates  a  momentary  yet  a  partial 
pause  in  its  course,  and  consequently  gives  rise  to  an  increased 
lateral  pressure  at  this  point  in  the  barrels,  which  are  proportionally 
thin  as  they  approach  the  muzzle,  and  consequently,  unlike  the 
heavy  breech,  are  unable  to  withstand  this  unequal  and  sudden 
shock,  and  therefore  must  give  way.  And  thus  we  may  say  that 
bursting  under  these  circumstances  arises  from  the  sudden  accu- 
mulation and  increased  expansion  of  the  elastic  fluid  behind  the 
object  offering  the  resistance  and  thereby  preventing  the  free  exit 
of  the  charge  from  the  gun. 

Why  the  same  result  was  not  obtained  in  the  case  of  larger  fire- 
arms, and  why  the  experiments  of  Commodore  Stockton  should  be 
diametrically  opposed  to  this  theory,  we  cannot,  perhaps,  satis- 
factorily explain,  as  we  have  no  opportunities  of  making  any  prac;- 


422  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

tical  observations  upon  the  subject;  we  therefore  leave  it  for  the 
investigation  of  others,  venturing,  however,  the  following  re- 
marks : — 

If,  for  experiment,  the  dimensions  of  the  guns  (as  Commodore 
Stockton's  all  were)  be  of  the  same  size  throughout,  and  of  a  calibre 
sufficiently  strong  to  withstand  the  shock  of  the  powder  used  in 
the  experiment,  except  at  the  very  spot  where  the  internal  pressure 
is  greatest, —  that  is,  at  the  hreech  end, —  and  the  metal  be  no 
stronger  there  than  at  any  other  point  along  the  barrel,  it  is  evi- 
dent to  every  one  of  the  least  thought  that  a  certain  charge  of 
powder  would  have  a  very  diiFerent  effect  upon  a  gun  of  this  kind 
than  it  would  on  one  constructed  upon  the  principle  of  an  ordinary 
fowling-piece,  which  has  the  weight  of  metal  in  the  breech  nicely 
harmonizing  with  the  length  and  calibre  of  the  weapon. 

The  experiments  therefore  cannot  hold  good  in  the  one  case  as 
in  the  other;  because,  when  the  powder  is  exploded  in  the  large 
gun,  (such  as  used  by  Commodore  Stockton,)  the  greatest  pressure, 
as  before  stated,  in  this  as  well  as  in  all  other  fire-arms,  is  at 
the  point  of  ignition, — the  breeches.  Now,  the  breeches,  or  that 
portion  of  the  barrel  surrounding  the  chambers  in  the  experimental 
guns,  were  exactly  of  the  same  size  as  the  other  parts  of  the 
barrel;  and  consequently,  if  the  gun  contained  at  any  time  suf- 
ficient powder  to  burst  it,  it  would  necessarily  be  burst  at  the  point 
where  the  greatest  pressure  was  exerted,  and  that  of  course  would 
be  at  the  breech,  as  already  admitted.  Again,  when  the  ball  is 
rammed  home  and  the  powder  exploded,  the  force  of  the  shock 
would  of  course  be  more  confined  to  the  breech  than  if  the  ball 
was  far  up  the  barrel.  Moreover,  the  force  expended  on  the  breech 
at  the  instant  of  explosion  under  these  circumstances — that  is,  with 
a  regular  home-charge  —  would  be  necessarily  greater  than  that 
generated  at  the  same  point  if  the  ball  was  not  directly  on  the 
powder,  for  the  ample  reason  that  in  the  latter  case  there  would  bo 
less  positive  resistance  for  the  powder  to  overcome  at  the  moment 
of  ignition,  owing  to  the  absence  of  the  ball  from  its  ordinary 
position.     The  shock  of  the  explosion  would  also  be  somewhat 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  423 

modified,  in  consequence  of  its  first  and  most  powerful  effects 
having  been  exerted  at  the  moment  of  combustion  at  the  breech, 
and  subsequently  to  a  certain  extent  expended  during  the  passage 
along  the  space  intervening  between  the  chamber  of  the  gun  and 
the  point  where  the  ball  was  impacted  in  the  barrel.  At  this 
point  the  propelling  fluid,  we  grant,  would  necessarily  meet  with  a 
sudden  check  to  its  farther  progress  towards  the  muzzle,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  mechanical  obstruction  presented  by  the  wedged 
ball.  This  check,  however,  would  not  produce,  possibly,  a  shock 
equal  to  that  generated  at  the  first  impulse  of  the  burning  powder, 
and  therefore  could  not  burst  the  barrel  at  this  point,  if  it  did 
not  do  it  at  the  point  of  ignition,  where  the  metal  in  the  ex- 
perimental guns  was  no  stronger,  and  the  force  applied  we  assume 
to  be  much  greater. 

This  position  being  correct,  the  gun  would  not  be  so  readily  burst 
from  an  explosion,  under  these  circumstances,  as  it  would  if  the 
whole  force  was  exerted  upon  the  one  point,  as  is  the  case  when 
the  ball  is  rammed  home  upon  the  charge;  and  consequently  it 
would  require  a  larger  proportion  of  powder  to  develope  the  same 
degree  of  force,  without  the  immediate  pressure  of  the  ball,  as 
would  be  generated  if  the  ball  were  rammed  tight  upon  the 
charge. 

This,  however,  would  not  be  the  case  with  a  fowling-piece,  for 
the  reason  that  the  barrel  being  of  unequal  thickness,  and  the 
breech  four  or  five  times  as  heavy  as  the  muzzle  and  in  a  propor- 
tionate degree  heavier  than  all  other  parts  of  the  barrel  as  you 
advance  towards  the  mouth,  if  a  ball  therefore  become  impacted 
in  it,  and  offer  considerable  resistance  to  the  escape  of  the  powder, 
the  lateral  pressure  created  by  this  shock  might  be  more  than 
suflScient  to  rend  the  gun  in  pieces  at  this  point,  when  three  times 
the  same  force  would  have  no  eff"ect  upon  the  breech  end. 

From  the  foregoing  remarks,  therefore,  it  appears  evident  to  us 
that  it  would  require  far  more  powder  to  burst  a  small  gun  with  a 
regular  home-charge  than  it  would  to  burst  it,  if,  when  set  in 
motion,  it  should  meet  with  a  sudden  and  powerful  resistance  any. 


424  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

distance  up  the  barrel,  either  in  the  shape  of  a  wad,  ball,  or  any 
other  accidental  obstruction  such  as  before  mentioned. 

Although  the  internal  pressure  first  produced  at  the  moment  of 
ignition  be  not  sufiicient  to  burst  the  barrel  asunder  at  the  breech, 
the  sudden  shock  occasioned  by  the  resistance  of  the  obstruction, 
though  not  equal  to  the  first  force  generated  at  the  breech  end, 
might  be,  hoAvever,  quite  sufficient  to  tear  the  barrel  to  pieces  at 
the  point  of  contact. 

RECOIL.  • 

The  recoil — or,  as  it  is  vulgarly  called,  ^Hhe  hick — of  a  gun'' 
may  be  produced  by  several  causes,  all  of  which,  however,  have 
their  primary  origin  in  the  projectile  force  of  the  powder,  or  rather 
in  the  resistance  offered  to  the  expansive  fluid  generated  by  the 
ignition  or  explosion  of  a  mass  of  powder.  In  all  fire-arms  of 
perfect  construction  the  recoil  is  in  proportion  to  the  friction  or 
resistance  offered  during  the  exit  of  the  shot  from  the  barrels; 
and  it  is  only  when  this  resistance,  or  rather  the  consequence  of 
this  resistance, — the  recoil, — becomes  disagreeable  to  the  shooter, 
that  we  look  for  the  cause  and  the  remedy,  as  there  must,  of  course, 
under  every  circumstance,  be  some  recoil  in  fire-arms,  no  matter 
how  perfect  the  barrels  may  be  in  their  construction. 

Imperfections  in  the  manufacture  of  the  barrels  are  fruitful 
sources  of  reaction  in  shot-guns;  and,  if  they  are  not  perfectly 
symmetrical  in  their  bore  and  smooth  throughout  their  entire  sur- 
face, the  piece  will  rebound  more  or  less  severely  at  every  dis- 
charge, no  matter  how  small  a  quantity  of  powder  may  be  used. 
If  the  barrel  be  wider  at  one  point  than  at  another,  although  this 
difference  may  not  be  perceptible  to  the  eye,  the  repercussion  will 
be  greatly  increased;  as,  the  shot  being  somewhat  arrested  in  its 
progress  through  the  barrel,  the  impelling  force  of  the  powder 
exerts  itself  so  much  the  more  to  overcome  the  barrier,  and  thus 
creates  a  back-action,  which  spends  itself  upon  the  breech.  A 
recoil  produced  from  such  a  cause  is  of  a  most  dangerous  character, 
and  will  eventually  burst  the  weapon,  as  it  is  impossible  for  barrels 


MISCELLANEOUS    HINTS.  425 

of  any  ordinary  thickness  to  withstand  the  oft-repeated  and  violent 
efforts  of  the  powder  to  force  its  way  through  the  contracted  point. 
For  the  same  reason,  a  leaded  or  foul  gun,  by  offering  a  certain 
degree  of  resistance  to  the  exit  of  the  charge,  will  produce  a  recoil 
in  proportion  to  the  increased  friction,  which,  even  in  the  best- 
constructed  fowling-pieces,  will  often  be  very  severe  from  such  a 
cause.  If  the  shot  be  too  tightly  rammed,  or  an  over-quantity  be 
used,  the  recoil,  of  course,  will  be  increased  in  proportion  to  the 
resistance  offered.  A  straight  stock  will  feel  the  effects  of  this 
retro-action,  or  rather  transmit  those  effects  to  the  person  of  the 
shooter,  much  more  severely  than  a  crooked  stock,  as  the  latter, 
by  receiving  the  force  of  the  concussion  in  an  oblique  direction, 
breaks  the  shock  before  it  reaches  the  extremity.  Bad  powder, 
particularly  damp  powder,  adds  greatly  to  the  recoil ;  and  no  doubt 
some  of  our  readers  have  remarked  that  there  is  always  more 
recalcitration  on  a  wet  day  than  on  a  clear  one;  this  is  owing, 
to-be-sure,  in  part,  to  the  barrels  getting  dirty  much  sooner,  but 
principally  to  the  dampness  of  the  powder,  which  impedes  the  im- 
mediate ignition  of  the  whole  mass,  and  consequently  retards  the 
exit  of  the  shot,  which  moves  before  the  propelling  force  with  a 
kind  of  jerking  motion. 

It  has  been  asserted  by  some  writers  that  the  position  of  the 
touch-hole  regulates  in  a  great  measure  the  power  of  the  recoil. 
Suppose,  for  example,  that  the  touch-hole  communicates  wuth  the 
centre  of  the  mass  of  powder :  it  is  contended  that  at  the  moment 
of  ignition  the  expansive  force  of  the  generated  fluid  is  exerted  as 
strongly  backwards  upon  the  breech  as  it  is  forwards  or  upon  the 
sides  of  the  barrel;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  if  the  powder  is 
ignited  from  the  base  of  the  mass,  the  whole  expulsive  force  will 
be  directed  forwards  upon  the  shot,  and  the  recoil  consequently 
be  much  lighter.  The  less  a  gun  reacts,  the  more  certain  and 
effective  will  be  the  delivery  of  its  shot ;  as  it  is  well  ascertained 
that  a  piece  made  perfectly  stationary  in  its  bed  will  throw  a  ball 
much  farther,  and  consequently  with  much  more  force,  than  one 
that  is  allowed  to  rebound  at  every  discharge.     A  kicking  gun, 


426  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

when  grasped  tightly  and  held  firmly  to  the  shoulder,  will  spring 
back  far  less  than  if  lightly  placed  against  it;  it  will  also  throw 
the  shot  much  farther  and  with  greater  certainty.  This  fact  may 
be  very  easily  ascertained  by  a  simple  experiment. 

Suspend,  for  example,  a  fowling-piece  by  two  cords  from  a 
suitable  frame,  or  from  the  limb  of  a  tree,  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
permit  an  unrestrained  recoil,  having  first  charged  it  with  the 
ordinary  load  of  pov/der  and  shot;  now  fire  the  gun  at  a  target 
properly  arranged,  and  take  especial  note  of  the  result ;  then  load 
the  piece  as  before,  and  secure  it  tightly,  so  that  no  rebound  can 
take  place ;  move  the  target  some  distance  farther  ofi",  and  note  the 
result  of  this  discharge.  It  will  be  observed  that  the  last  fire  will 
be  far  more  effective  than  the  first,  both  as  regards  the  strength 
and  range^  although  the  distance  of  the  target  has  been  con- 
siderably increased. 

In  support  of  the  time-honored  hypothesis  relating  to  the  effects 
to  be  apprehended  from  the  presence  of  certain  obstructions,  in- 
tentionally or  accidentally  placed  up  the  barrels  of  small  fire-arms, 
we  hardly  know  what  to  advance.  Although  we  have  not  made 
any  experiments  to  establish  the  position,  still  we  feel  quite  sure  in 
asserting  that  the  old-received  opinion  is  perfectly  correct ;  that 
is,  that  there  will  he  a  greater  recoil  with  the  same  amount  of  pow- 
der if  there  he  some  obstruction  up  the  barrel,  than  there  would  he 
if  the  charge  was  properly  rammed  home. 

This  opinion,  however,  is  quite  contrary  to  the  results  obtained 
by  Commodore  Stockton ;  for  he  asserts  that  the  recoil,  as  indicated 
hy  the  motion  of  the  timber  to  which  the  guns  were  fastened,  was 
less  when  the  ball  ivas  at  a  distance  from  the  powder  than  when  it 
was  rammed  home.  This,  certainly,  is  very  much  at  variance  with 
the  popular  belief. 

If  a  gun  be  fired  with  an  ordinary  charge  of  powder,  and  be 
perfect  in  its  construction,  there  will  not  be  any  retrograde  motion 
of  the  piece,  or  in  other  words  recoil,  felt  at  the  shoulder;  or,  if 
there  be  any,  it  will  be  of  such  a  trifling  nature  that  it  is  not  worth 
noticing. 


Miscellaneous  hints.  427 

There  is,  however,  a  recoil;  and  this  recoil,  as  before  observed, 
is  deadened  in  proportion  to  the  weight  of  metal  in  the  breech, 
the  shape  and  build  of  the  stock,  as  well  as  in  some  measure  by 
the  mode  of  holding  the  weapon. 

If,  however,  the  charge  in  its  exit  from  the  gun  should  meet 
with  any  obstruction  far  up  the  barrel,  where  the  metal  is  thin  and 
the  gun  only  lightly  balanced  in  the  hand  by  a  grasp  of  the  stock 
near  the  guard,  the  sudden  shock  given  to  it  by  the  resistance  of 
the  obstacle  encountered  will  communicate  a  jar  or  quick  jerk  to 
the  weapon,  which  will  be  felt  at  the  shoulder,  and  not  expended, 
as  in  the  other  case,  upon  the  breech  or  stock. 

The  reason  of  this,  we  presume,  is  that  the  retro-action  imparted 
to  a  fowling-piece  by  a  regular  charge  of  powder  and  shot  is  not  a 
jumping,  jerking  rebound,  but  a  regular  and  steady  recoil,  as  it 
were  confined  to  the  thick  chambers  of  the  gun,  and  lost  upon  the 
stock  before  it  reaches  the  shoulder  of  the  shooter;  but,  in  the 
other  case,  the  motion  imparted  to  the  gun  is  a  jumping  or  jerking 
recoil,  which  has  not  the  heavy  breech  to  break  its  immediate 
effects  upon,  and  is  consequently  transmitted  without  interruption 
along  the  outside  of  the  barrel  directly  to  the  person  of  the 
sportsman. 

This  action  will  be  quite  different  in  the  case  of  the  experi- 
mental ordnance-pieces,  as  has  been  already  demonstrated;  for 
there  was  neither  a  heavy  breech  nor  long  stock  to  ward  off  or 
receive  the  repercussion  in  those  guns,  and  the  vrhole  force  of  the 
explosion  consequently  was  transmitted  immediately  to  the  timber 
to  which  they  were  all  attached,  and  necessarily  occasioned  the 
conclusion  arrived  at  by  Commodore  Stockton. 

Commodore  Stockton's  little  pamphlet,  the  result  of  much  care 
and  ingenuity  on  his  part  in  the  prosecution  of  these  highly  in- 
teresting experiments,  requires  no  notice  from  us;  it  speaks  for 
itself.  But  we  may  be  permitted  to  state  that  we  were  led  to  this 
partial  review  of  some  of  its  points  from  the  interest  we  felt  in  the 
subject,  and  from  the  circumstance  of  a  copy  having  been  sent  to 


42S  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

US  by  a  sporting  friend,  who  requested  our  views  on  the  novel  as 
well  as  rather  startling  results. 

In  conclusion,  we  beg  to  remind  our  readers  that  we  have  not 
denied,  nor  have  we  attempted  to  disprove,  any  of  the  conclusions 
arrived  at  by  the  commodore ;  we  have  only  endeavored  to  explain 
some  of  these  results,  and  to  show  that  they  do  not,  in  our  judg- 
ment, affect  the  operations  of  sporting -guns,  nor  are  they  suffi- 
ciently conclusive  to  change  our  old-fashioned  views  on  this  sub- 
ject. As  far  as  the  experiments  go,  they  are  quite  satisfactory; 
and  they  certainly  have  developed  some  rather  strange  phenomena, 
— at  all  events  have  given  rise  to  some  very  new  ideas  in  reference 
to  the  matter,  which  we  doubt  not  will  prove  hereafter  of  much 
practical  utility  in  "gunnery." 


CHAPTER    XXYIII 


DISCOVERY   AND   INTRODUCTION   OF   GUNPOWDEB. 


OME  writers  assert  that  the  use  of  gun- 
powder, as  well  as  ordnance,  was  well 
known  to  certain  of  the  ancients  as  far 
back  as  the  year  of  our  Lord  eighty- 
five;  and  in  support  of  this  hypothesis 
the  following  remarks  of  UfFano,  on  the 
authority  of  Robert  Norton,  the  author 
of  a  work  entitled  The  €runner,  printed 
in  London  in  16G4,  are  often  quoted,  viz. : — "  That  the  invention 
and  use,  as  well  of  ordnance  as  of  gunpowder,  was  in  the  eighty- 
fifth  yeare  of  our  Lord  made  known  and  practised  in  the  great  and 
ingenious  kingdom  of  China ;  and  that  in  the  maretyme  provinces 
thereof  there  yet  remain  certaine  pieces  of  ordnance,  both  of  iron 

and  brass e,  with  the  memory  of  their  yeares  of  founding  engraved 

429 


430  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

upon  tTiem,  and  the  armes  of  King  Yitney,  who,  he  saith,  was  the 
inventor." 

Another  passage  from  Philostratus,  the  historian  of  Apollonius 
Tjanaeus,  about  the  commencement  of  the  third  century,  has 
also  been  referred  to  by  writers  in  favor  of  the  antiquity  of  this 
invention.  In  speaking  of  a  people  of  India  called  Oxydracae, 
this  ancient  authority  remarks: — ''•  These  truly  wise  men  dwelt 
between  the  rivers  Hyphasis  and  Ganges.  Their  country  Alexander 
the  Great  never  entered,  deterred,  not  by  fear  of  the  inhabitants, 
but,  as  I  suppose,  by  religious  considerations ;  for,  had  he  passed 
the  Hyphasis,  he  might  doubtless  have  made  himself  master  of  the 
country  all  around  them ;  but  their  cities  he  never  could  have 
taken,  though  he  had  led  a  thousand  as  brave  as  Achilles  or  three 
thousand  such  as  Ajax  to  the  assault,  for  they  come  not  out  into 
the  field  to  fight  those  who  attack  them,  but  these  holy  men,  be- 
loved by  the  gods,  overthrow  their  enemies  by  tempests  and  thun- 
derbolts shot  from  the  walls.  It  is  said  that  the  Egyptian  Her- 
cules and  Bacchus,  when  they  overran  India,  avoided  this  people  also, 
and,  having  prepared  warlike  engines,  attempted  to  conquer  them. 
They  made  no  show  of  resistance ;  but  upon  the  enemy's  near  ap- 
proach to  their  cities  they  were  repulsed  with  storms  of  lightning 
and  thunderbolts  hurled  upon  them  from  above." 

In  the  Opus  Magus  of  Friar  Bacon,  who  died  about  1294,  may 
be  found  a  particular  description  of  the  effects  of  a  certain  com- 
pound of  saltpetre  and  other  ingredients,  which,  when  ignited,  gave 
results  analogous  to  those  of  thunder  and  lightning;  and,  further- 
more, it  is  stated  when  these  elements  are  rightly  amalgamated 
and  properly  applied,  the  force  of  the  explosion  would  be  suffi- 
ciently powerful  to  destroy  not  only  an  army,  but  even  to  overturn 
an  entire  city. 

These  remarks,  together  with  some  others  even  still  more  per- 
spicuous on  this  head,  have  led  most  inquirers  to  conclude  that  the 
learned  friar  was  at  least  well  acquainted  with  the  components  and 
effects,  if  not  well  versed  in  the  precise  composition  and  applica- 
tion, of  gunpowder. 


DISCOVERY   AND   INTRODUCTION   OF   GUNPOWDER.   431 

This  information,  it  may  very  justly  be  presumed,  was  not  ori- 
ginal with  himself,  but  rather  obtained  from  the  others  of  his 
brotherhood,  the  monks,  who  had  learned  of  its  existence  among 
the  Chinese,  as  well  as  seen  its  operations  during  their  missions  in 
those  far-distant  regions,  from  whence  they  had  then  lately  re- 
turned. 

Some  writers  go  so  far  as  to  suppose  that  the  pious  but  wily 
monk  was  well  acquainted  with  the  composition  of  gunpowder, 
as  well  as  its  terrible  effects,  but  at  the  same  time  assert  that  he 
was  fearful  of  betraying  the  wonderful  secret,  knowing  full  well 
that  its  introduction  into  the  world  would  be  attended  with  the 
most  calamitous  consequences;  and,  for  humanity's  sake  alone,  if 
not  from  other  ulterior  motives,  he  determined  to  keep  the  secret 
as  long  from  the  knowledge  of  man  as  possible. 

Be  all  this  as  it  may,  there  is  no  doubt  that  Berthold 
Schwarz,  a  German  monk  of  the  Order  of  St.  Francis,  was  the 
first  person  who  made  the  composition  of  this  wondrous  sub- 
stance generally  known  to  the  world,  and  that  the  discovery, 
though  ancient  it  might  he,  was  nevertheless  altogether  original 
with  himself. 

The  circumstances  of  the  discovery  are  these : — Berthold  Schwarz, 
a  native  of  Freiburg,  in  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Baden,  during  his 
relaxation  from  monastic  duties,  occupied  much  of  his  time  in  the 
fascinating  and  absorbing  pursuit  of  chemistry.  During  some  of 
his  manipulations,  having  pounded  in  a  mortar  an  accidental  mix- 
ture of  charcoal,  sulphur,  and  nitre,  he  was  amazed  and  wildly 
astounded  by  its  sudden  and  fearful  explosion  on  the  hap-hazard 
application  of  a  spark  of  fire. 

This  terrible  but  at  the  same  time  novel  exhibition  of  power  in  a 
simple  compound  like  this  very  naturally  aroused  in  the  mind  of 
the  zealous  student  a  spirit  of  investigation;  and  the  result  of 
further  experiment  was  the  discovery  of  that  still  mysterious 
composition  known  as  gunpowder, — a  discovery  which  has  not  only 
immortalized  the  otherwise  obscure  monk,  but,  since  its  general 
introduction  and  application  to  the  use  of  fire-arms,  has  actually 


432  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

given  rise  to  a  new  era  in  the  workings  of  man, — in  fact,  has  been 
the  chief  and  all-powerful  instrument  in  not  only  shaping  the 
mighty  affairs  of  great  nations  in  times  past,  but  must  ever  con- 
tinue to  exercise  a  decided  influence  over  the  destinies  of  mankind 
in  all  time  to  come. 

All  this  happened  about  the  year  1340 ;  and  the  city  of  Freiburg 
h^  lately  very  properly  commemorated  the  wonderful  event  by 
the  erection  of  a  handsome  fountain,  emblazoned  with  suitable  in- 
scriptions and  surmounted  by  a  statue  of  the  fortunate  discoverer. 

CANNON. 

Notwithstanding  the  reputed  antiquity  of  cannon,  they  were 
little  known  in  England  before  the  fourteenth  century,  and  were 
first  employed  as  an  engine  of  war  by  Edward  III.  At  this  early 
period  of  their  introduction  into  military  service,  they  were  of  rude 
construction  and  cumbersome  proportions,  and  so  continued,  with 
little  or  no  improvement,  till  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.  This 
monarch  soon  undertook  the  manufacture  of  ordnance,  which  was 
continued  with  spirit  and  energy  by  his  persevering  successor, 
Queen  Elizabeth,  and,  during  her  reign,  vast  improvements  were 
made  in  their  fabrication.  The  "hand-goune"  was  next  invented, 
— an  instrument  sufficiently  rude  in  its  construction  when  compared 
with  the  guns  of  the  present  day,  but  still,  as  a  first  efi'ort  in  this 
branch  of  manufacture,  a  very  serviceable  weapon  of  attack  as 
well  as  defence.  This  "goune"  was  made  light  enough  to  be 
carried  about  by  one  person,  and  was  fired  by  the  application  of  a 
match. 

The  stocked  gun  was  the  next  improvement,  which  also  was 
fired  by  the  application  of  a  lighted  match  to  the  priming,  either 
through  the  medium  of  a  match-lock  or  by  the  direct  interposition 
of  the  hand. 

The  "wheel-lock"  was  the  next  invention,  and  approximated 
closely  in  principle  if  not  in  construction  to  the  flint-lock  of  the 
present  day,  a  spark  of  fire  being  produced  and  communicated  to 
the  priming  by  the  friction  of  a  notched  wheel  passing  rapidly 


THE  GUN  AND  ITS  VARIOUS  PARTS. 


433 


over  the  edge  of  a  flint-stone.     The  flint-lock  of  the  present  day 
was  the  next  step  in  order ;  and  the  percussion-lock,  in  its  approved 


form,  was  the  last  and  best  of  all. 


THE  GUN  AND   ITS  VARIOUS   PARTS. 

The  gun  being  the  principal  instrument  by  means  of  which  the 
sportsman  destroys  his  game,  it  seems  proper  that  it  should  now 
claim  our  particular  attention,  as  the  proper  knowledge  of  its  parts 
and  uses,  as  well  as  its  perfections  and  imperfection^  should  be 
thoroughly  understood  by  the  tyro  before  entering  upon  the  sports 
of  the  field.  Without  imparting  this  information,  we  cannot  expect 
our  sporting  friends  to  be  competent  to  provide  themselves  with 
such  fowling-pieces  as  will  come  up  to  our  ideal  of  beauty  or 
answer  the  good  purposes  that  we  design  to  exhibit  in  a  superior 
gun.  Many  of  our  readers  will  smile  in  anticipation  of  a  long  and 
tedious  dissertation  upon  a  subject  in  which  they  can  take  but 
little  interest  beyond  the  mere  outward  examination  of  an  instru- 
ment the  skilful  making  and  putting  together  of  which  has  occu- 
pied the  minds  of  many  of  the  most  intelligent  and  ingenious  spirits 
of  the  Old  World  as  well  as  the  New.  Many  of  our  sportsmen  are 
content  to  go  to  the  field  with  a  second-rate  or  third-rate  gun,  feeling 

well  satisfied  with  its  goodness  provided  it  kills  occasionally  at  long 

28 


ft34  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

distances  and  does  not  burst  when  overcharged.  The  nipples,  to-be- 
sure,  will  sometimes  fly  out,  and  the  locks  now  and  then  get  out  of 
order;  but  these  trifling  inconveniences  can  soon  be  rectified  by 
application  to  the  gunsmith,  village  blacksmith,  or  perhaps  by  the 
shooter's  own  ready  genius.  Notwithstanding  these  occasional 
mishaps,  the  gun  is  pronounced  a  "good  one,"  and  no  thought  is 
had  of  any  thing  superior,  although  many  a  fine  day's  sport  has 
been  interrupted  by  these  "little  annoyances"  that  cannot  be 
helped.  The  luxury  of  a  superior  gun,  if  we  may  so  speak,  is 
never  dreamed  of  by  these  people ;  and  they  cannot  conceive  the 
possibility  of  shooting  for  years  with  the  same  fowling-piece  with- 
out once  seeing  it  the  least  out  of  order.  A  weapon  so  dangerous 
as  a  gun,  even  in  the  hands  of  the  most  careful,  should  certainly 
be  of  excellent  quality,  and  all  its  parts  made  of  such  materials  as 
to  insure  its  safety  at  all  times,  under  judicious  management,  and 
leave  no  room  for  those  melancholy  accidents  that  so  often  occur 
from  the  bursting  and  going  ofi"  of  inferior  guns  when  least  ex- 
pected, owing  to  impurity  of  metal  or  the  imperfect  structure  of 
the  locks  or  other  portions  of  the  machinery. 

We  do  not  intend  to  occupy,  or  rather  hore^  the  reader  with  a 
long  scientific  dissertation  upon  gun-making,  but  merely  wish  to 
direct  his  attention  to  the  subject  in  such  a  way  that  he  will  gain 
in  a  few  pages  all  the  practical  information  in  reference  to  a  gun 
that  will  be  necessary  to  make  him  familiar  with  its  history, 
manufacture,  and  construction. 

Before  the  introduction  of  guns  into  England,  the  longbow  and 
crossbow  were  the  weapons  mostly  employed  in  war,  as  well  as  for 
the  chase.  The  latter  instrument  was  most  in  favor  with  sports- 
men, owing  to  the  greater  strength  and  certainty  with  which  it 
threw  its  arrows.  Although  the  use  of  fire-arms,  as  before  stated, 
was  somewhat  known  during  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  as  well  as  that 
of  her  predecessor,  Henry  the  Eighth,  and  even  as  far  back  as 
Edward  the  Third,  (1327,)  who  is  said  to  have  first  used  a  species 
of  mortar  for  the  purpose  of  ejecting  large  stones  against  the  Scots 
when  bombarding  them  in  their  native  fastnesses,  still,  these  rude 


THE    GUN    AND     ITS    VARIOUS    PARTS.  435 

weapons  were  of  so  unwieldy  a  character  that  it  was  not  thought 
of  introducing  them  into  the  chase.  Even  in  the  reign  of  Eliza- 
beth, the  muskets  made  under  her  directions  for  the  use  of  the 
army  were  so  large  and  heavy  that  it  was  impossible  for  the  soldier 
to  travel  any  great  distance  with  them,  or  to  hold  them  out  at 
arm's  length  for  the  purpose  of  firing :  but  each  one  was  obliged  to 
carry  a  staff  with  him,  which  he  stuck  in  the  ground  to  rest  the 
instrument  upon  while  taking  aim  at  his  adversary.  It  was  not 
till  the  reign  of  Charles  the  First  (1625)  that  small-arms  were 
made  of  such  proportions  as  adapted  them  to  the  use  of  sportsmen ; 
and  even  at  this  late  period — nearly  three  hundred  years  after  the 
introduction  of  gunpowder  —  the  small-arms,  though  vastly  im- 
proved, were  still  rude  and  cumbersome  instruments,  and  suitable 
only  for  the  pursuit  of  large  animals,  as  they  could  not  be  handled 
or  discharged  with  sufficient  ease  to  enable  the  bearer  to  kill  a  bird 
on  the  wing.  These  weapons,  like  many  other  articles,  have  gone 
through  a  regular  series  of  improvements,  until  at  last  they  have 
in  the  present  age  arrived  at  a  state  of  perfection  beyond  which  it 
is  difficult  to  conceive  any  thing  superior.  Although  the  manu- 
facture of  guns  has  arrived  at  its  present  state  of  excellency,  there 
are  thousands  of  miserable  guns  thrown  into  the  markets  of  this 
country ;  and  very  few  really  good  ones  are  to  be  obtained,  except 
from  those  who  import  directly  from  some  one  of  the  celebrated 
makers  of  England,  or  by  applying  only  to  some  two  or  three  of 
our  own  gunsmiths  either  in  Philadelphia  or  New  York ;  and  then 
it  is  no  easy  matter  to  get  exactly  what  the  sportsman  wishes,  if 
he  be  not  able  to  describe  minutely  and  superintend  in  a  measure 
the  building  of  it  himself.  The  reason  of  this  is  that  our  me- 
chanics have  so  many  tastes  and  fancies  to  please,  owing  principally 
to  the  ignorance  of  those  who  order  fowling-pieces,  that  they  have 
adopted  no  generally-acknowledged  standard  or  style  to  guide 
them  in  the  getting  up  of  guns  suitable  for  certain  kinds  of  sport. 
We  wish  our  readers  to  acquire  a  certain  degree  of  information 
on  these  points,  so  that  they  may  sit  at  home  and  give  an  order  for 
a  gun  to  be  made  in  some  distant  city,  using  all  the  terms  and  tech- 


436  .   lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

nicalities  appertaining  to  the  instrument  in  such  a  business-like 
manner  that  their  description  may  be  perfectly  comprehended  not 
only  by  themselves  but  also  by  the  gunsmith,  which  will  prevent  the 
occurrence  of  any  mistakes  on  the  part  of  the  mechanic  or  disap- 
pointments to  the  sportsman.  All  this  information  can  be  obtained 
by  a  few  hours  of  reading  and  examination  of  the  various  parts  of 
the  gun.  The  first  thing  to  be  acquired  is  a  knowledge  of  the  terms 
used  by  gunsmiths  when  speaking  of  a  gun ;  we  will  therefore  com- 
mence our  lesson  by  an  alphabetical  list  of  these  terms,  with  which 
every  sportsman  should  be  familiar. 

Antechamber. — The  small  opening  or  passage  forming  a  connection  between 

the  end  of  the  tube  and  the  chamber,  and  through  which  the  fire  from  the 

cap  is  conducted  to  the  powder  lying  in  the  chamber. 
Bolts. — The  small  sliding  pins  that  pass  through  the  fore-end  of  the  stock, 

and,  fitting  in  the  loops  of  the  barrels,  secure  them  in  their  position. 
Bolt-loops. — Small  iron  loops  or  eyes  attached  to  the  barrel,  through  which 

the  bolts  pass  to  fasten  the  barrel  to  the  stock. 
Break-off,  or  False  Breeching. — The  piece  of  metal  made  fast  to  the  stock 

by  the  cross-pin,  into  which  the  hooks  of  the  breeches  must  be  inserted 

before  the  barrels  will  slip  into  their  bed. 
Bridle. — The  piece  of  polished  steel,  partly  covering  the  tumbler  and  scear, 

in  which  the  pivot  of  the  tumbler  works,  holding  all  the  machinery  secure. 
Bridle-pins. — Small  screws  which  keep  the  bridle  in  its  place. 
Cap. — The  piece  of  metal  covering  the  worm  of  the  ramrod. 
Cap. — The  metal  finish  at  the  extreme  point  of  the  stock. 
Chain,  or  Swivel. — A  small  piece  of  steel  fastened  to  the  neck  of  the  tumbler 

to  receive  the  end  of  the  mainspring. 
Chamber,  or  Cup. — The  space  or  opening  in  the  centre  of  the  breech  designed 

to  hold  a  portion  of  the  charge  of  powder. 
Cock,  Hammer,  or  Striker.— The  arm  of  the  lock,  which,  being  freed  by  the 

pressure  of  the  fore-finger  on  the  trigger,  falls  on  the  nipple  and  explodes 

the  cap. 
Cross-pin,  or  False-breech  Screw.— The  screw  which,  passing  through  the 

trigger-plate  and  stock,  secures  the  break-off  or  false  breeching. 
Cup. — See  Chamber. 
Escutcheons.— Pieces  of  metal  set  in  the  stock  through  which  the  bolts  pass, 

so  as  to  prevent  the  wearing  or  chafing  of  the  woodwork.     Also,  the  metal 

shield  or  thumb-piece  on  which  the  crest  or  name  is  engraved. 


THE    GUN    AND    ITS    VARIOUS    PARTS.  487 

Face  or  Head  of  the  Hammer. — That  portion  of  the  cock  surrounded  with  a 

rim,  guard,  or  nose,  which  on  its  fall  comes  in  contact  with  the  nipple  and 

explodes  the  cap. 
False  Breeching. — See  Break-off. 
False-breech  screw. — See  Cross-pin. 
Guard. — Curved  plate  of  metal  to  protect  the  triggers. 
Guard-screws. — The  screws  by  which  the  guard  is  fastened  to  the  stock. 
Hammer. — See  Cock. 
Hammer-bridle. — That  portion  of  the  lock  in  which  the  tail  of  the  hammer 

works. 
Hammer-spring. — The  pin  on  which  the  tail  of  the  hammer  is  moved. 
Head  of  the  Hammer. — See  Face  of  the  Hammer. 
Heel-plate. — The  plate  with  which  the  butt  is  tipped. 
Heel-plate  Screws. — Screws  which  secure  the  heel-plate  to  the  stock. 
Lock-plate. — Plate  to  which  the  works  of  the  lock  are  attached. 
Mainspring. — The  large  spring  attached  to  the  swivel  by  which  the  lock  is 

worked. 
Nipple,  Pivot,  or  Tube. — The  small  steel  pillar  screwed  into  the  breeches,  on 

which  the  copper  cap  is  placed. 
Patent  Breech. — The  piece  of  metal  which  is  screwed  into  the  end  of  the 

barrel  and  forms  the  chamber. 
Pipes. — Bands  to  receive  the  ramrod. 
Pivot. — See  Nipple. 

Ramrod-head. — The  piece  of  metal  which,  surrounding  the  head  of  the  ram- 
rod, prevents  it  from  splitting. 
Ramrod-screw,  or  Worm. — The  screw  at  the  end  of  the  rod  for  the  purpose 

of  drawing  a  wad. 
Rod-stop. — The  small  piece  of  metal  on  the  inner  side  of  the  barrel,  contiguous 

to  the  muzzle,  which  prevents  the  ramrod  from  slipping  out. 
ScEAR. — The  small  piece  of  metal  which  catches  in  the  bends  of  the  tumblers 

for  whole  or  half-cock,  and,  when  pushed  out  of  position  by  the  trigger, 

permits  the  cock  to  fall  on  the  cap. 
ScEAR-piN. — The  small  screw  which  passes  through  the  scear  into  the  lock-plate 

and  keeps  it  in  its  proper  position. 
ScEAR-sPRiNG. — The  Spring  which  forces  and  holds  the  scear  in  the  bends  or 

notches  of  the  tumbler. 
ScEAR-spRiNG  ScREW. — The  scTOw  which  keeps  the  scear-spring  in  its  place. 
Scroll-guard. — Extension  of  the  guard  to  protect  the  hand. 
Side-pin,  or  Nail. — The  screw  that  holds  the  lock  to  the  stock. 
Sight. — The  piece  of  metal  attached  to  the  end  of  the  gun-barrel,  to  assist 

the  eye  in  taking  aim  at  the  object. 


438 


LEWIS    S    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


Sight-plate. — See  Top-piece. 

Spring-cramp. — An  instrument  for  taking  out  the  mainspring. 

Stock. — The  wood  portion  of  the  piece. 

Striker. — See  Cock. 

Swivel. — See  Chain. 

Top-piece,  Sight-plate,  or  Upper  Rib. — The  elevated  metal  plate  along  which 

the  eye  is  directed  to  the  sight. 
Triggers. — Light  pieces  of  metal  protected  by  the  guard,  extending  to  the 

interior  of  the  lock,  and  which,  upon  being  pressed  by  the  forefinger,  with- 
draw the  scear  from  the  tumbler,  and  thus  permit  the  cock  to  fall  and 

explode  the  cap. 
Trigger-plate. — The  plate  in  which  the  trigger  works. 
Trigger-spring. — The  small  spring  that,  pressing  against  the  trigger,  keeps 

it  close  to  the  scear. 
Tube. — See  Nipple. 
Tumbler. — The  movable  centre-piece  of  a  lock,  having  an  axle  passing  through 

the  lock-plate  to  which  the  cock  is  fastened. 
Tumbler-screw  or  pin. — The  screw  with  which  the  cock  or  hammer  is  fastened 

to  the  tumbler. 
Under  Cross-pin. — The  screw  which  passes  through  the  front  of  the  guard 

or  trigger-plate  into  the  base  of  the  break-off. 
Under  Rib. — The  plate  of  metal  running  the  whole  length  of  the  barrels, 

which,  together  with  the  upper  rib  or  sight-plate,  holds  them   securely 

together. 
Upper  Rib. — See  Top-piece. 
Vent,  or  Vent-hole. — A  small  hole  at  the  side  of  the  breeching,  intended  to 

allow  the  escape  of  a  portion  of  the  explosive  force  and  lessen  the  recoil. 
Worm. — See  Ramrod-screw. 


GUNS    MADE    TO    ORDER.  439 


GUNS   MADE   TO    ORDER. 

Guns  are  made  to  order  in  this  country  at  a  much  less  price 
than  they  can  be  imported  from  England :  that  is,  if  they  are  pur- 
chased of  celebrated  makers,  who  of  course  charge  considerably 
for  their  reputation. 

Westley  Richards,  one  of  the  most  noted  gunmakers  of  England, 
who  perhaps  turns  out  more  good  guns  than  any  other  manufac- 
turer in  that  country,  is,  we  believe,  very  generally  known  by 
reputation  to  all  American  sportsmen,  many  of  whom  pride  them- 
selves in  the  possession  of  his  fowling-pieces. 

The  following  memorandum  contains  the  dimensions  and  make 
of  a  very  superior  partridge-gun,  built  to  order  and  imported  by  a 
gentleman  of  this  city.  For  the  information  of  our  readers,  we 
have  also  added  a  copy  of  the  bill  as  rendered  by  the  manufac- 
turer, together  with  the  actual  estimate  of  shipping-charges,  duty,  &c. 
The  price  paid,  no  doubt,  will  seem  very  exorbitant  to  many  of 
our  sportsmen,  who  are  contented  with  guns  at  half  or  a  third  of 
the  price ;  but  when  the  workmanship  and  superior  quality  of  the 
article  are  duly  considered,  we  cannot  but  be  satisfied  with  the 
price,  as  high  as  it  may  appear. 

DIMENSIONS    BY    ACTUAL    MEASUREMENT. 

Whole  length  of  stock,  from  butt  to  cap,  two  feet  one  inch. 

Length  or  depth  of  butt,  five  and  a  half  inches,  with  a  slightly  concave 
surface  two  inches  in  width. 

From  axis  of  cock  to  cap,  ten  and  a  quarter  inches. 

Width  of  stock  before  the  guard,  one  inch  and  three-quarters,  and  made 
square. 

Length  of  barrels,  including  chambers,  two  feet  six  inches. 

Weight  of  barrels,  four  pounds. 

Whole  weight  of  gun,  seven  pounds. 

Whole  length  of  gun,  from  butt  to  point  of  barrels,  three  feet  ten  inches. 

Bore,  No.  14. 

Load,  one  and  a  quarter  ounces  shot,  with  same  hulk  of  powder. 


440  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 


BILL. 

82  High  Street,  Birmingham. 

Westley  Richards,  gun-manufacturer  to  his  Royal  Highness  Prince  Albert.     Agent  in 
London,  Wm  Bishop,  No.  170  New  Bond  Street. 

Best  double-barrel  gun,  14  gauge,  No.  5723 £31  10  0 

Mahogany  case  complete;*  best  leather  cover,  36s.;  2000  caps,  20*.; 
boxof  wads,  85 3    4  0 

£34  14  0 

Add  to  the  foregoing  bill  the  following  charges,  and 

we  will  have  the  exact  cost  of  the  piece : — 

Exchange,  10  per  cent £3    9  3 

Shipping  charges,  freight,  insurance 100 

Duty 11114    £16    0  7 

£50  14  7 
or 

$225  46 

Sportsmen  should  not  hesitate  between  a  doubtful  and  a  superior 
gun  on  account  of  a  trifling  expenditure,  as  it  is  a  purchase  that 
is  made  only  once  or  twice  in  a  lifetime;  and  there  is  a  certain 
degree  of  comfort  and  pleasure  in  going  to  the  field  for  a  day's 
amusement  with  the  assurance  of  handling  a  weapon  which  no 
ordinary  usage  can  injure,  and  that  we  have  nothing  to  fear  from 
accidents,  which  feeling  of  confidence  richly  repays  us  for  all  the 
unusual  outlay. 

The  saving  of  a  few  dollars  in  the  purchase  of  a  gun  would  ill 
repay  a  shooter  for  the  loss  of  a  hand  by  an  explosion,  or  perhaps 
the  maiming  of  a  friend  or  the  death  of  a  valuable  dog  by  the 
going  oflf  of  his  gun,  owing  to  poorly-made  locks.  There  are  few 
or  no  guns  made  entirely  in  this  country ;  the  barrels  and  locks 
are  generally  imported  from  England.  When  about  being  made 
up  by  respectable  gunsmiths,  they  are  subjected  to  a  proof-test, 
although  they  may  already  have  the  proof-mark  on  them. 


*  Containing  powder-flask,  shot-bag,  liquor-flask,  and  implements  for  cleaning, 
extra  ramrod,  &c.  Since  this  purchase  the  price  has  been  advanced  two  or  three 
pounds,  making  a  difference  of  ten  or  fifteen  dollars  in  the  cost. 


GUNSMITHS.  441 


GUNSMITHS. 


We  have  in  our  country  several  deserving  and  ingenious  me- 
chanics who  have  devoted  many  years  to  the  manufacture  of 
fire-arms  almost  exclusively  for  sporting-purposes;  and  if  they 
had  met  with  half  the  liberality  and  encouragement  that  are  so 
freely  bestowed  by  the  English  gentry  upon  the  same  class  of 
operatives  in  the  old  country,  we  no  doubt  should  now  be  able  to 
boast  of  men  in  this  branch  of  business  who  could  vie  in  every 
thing  with  those  of  England, 

Our  sportsmen,  however,  are  too  much  in  the  habit  of  trusting 
their  lives,  as  well  as  those  of  their  friends,  to  the  use  of  one  of 
the  many  cheap  guns  which  are  either  imported  into  this  country 
from  England,  or,  what  is  still  worse,  from  Germany.  This  being 
the  case,  we  cannot  be  surprised  at  the  frequent  occurrence  of 
accidents  of  a  serious  character,  in  every  section  of  the  country, 
during  the  shooting-season. 

There  are  several  gunmakers  in  New  York,  all  of  whom  are  said 
to  be  clever  in  their  profession.  Each  and  every  one  of  them 
have  their  patrons,  always  ready  to  extol  them  and  their  works  to 
the  skies.  We  are  not,  however,  personally  acquainted  with  any 
of  them,  and  therefore  only  state  what  we  have  learned  from  others 
respecting  these  men.  We  have  examined  some  of  their  work, 
and  certainly  have  no  fault  to  find  with  the  greater  portion  of  that 
which  has  come  under  our  notice  as  "crack  jobs,"  although  their 
ordinary  every-day  work  is  far  inferior  to  much  of  the  same  kind 
turned  out  of  the  second-rate  gunshops  of  England. 

In  Philadelphia  we  also  have  several  respectable  gunmakers 
entitled  to  notice.  All  of  these  mechanics  are  about  on  a  par 
with  those  of  New  York,  although  they  claim  for  themselves  a 
superiority  over  those  of  the  latter  city;  with  what  truth,  how- 
ever, we  know  not,  as  their  work  all  seems  about  the  same  in 
appearance  and  quality,  and  their  guns  shoot  no  farther  or  stronger, 
so  far  as  we  are  able  to  judge.  In  what  their  superiority  consists 
we  are  at  a  loss  to  say,  except  it  be  in  the  fact  that  they  turn  out 


442  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

work  at  a  much  less  cost  than  they  do  in  New  York,  which,  of 
course,  is  some  recommendation  to  every  one,  provided  it  is  equally 
good;  and  this  one  circumstance  is  perhaps  sufficient  to  account 
for  the  many  orders  which  the  Philadelphia  gunsmiths  receive 
from  New  York  sportsmen. 

We  have  handled  many  fine  guns,  fresh  from  the  hands  of  the 
gunmakers  of  our  city,  and  no  doubt  there  are  many  persons 
ready  to  say  they  have  seen  as  many  bad  ones.  In  this  particular 
the  respectable  mechanics  of  America  differ  from  those  of  Eng- 
land. With  us,  they  turn  out  good,  bad,  and  indifferent  work 
every  day,  calculated  to  suit  the  requirements  of  trade,  or  rather 
the  tastes  and  purses  of  their  customers;  whereas  those  of  the 
old  country — we  mean  those  of  some  reputation — have  but  one 
style  of  doing  business,  and  that  is,  all  that  comes  from  their  shops 
is  as  perfect  as  it  can  be  made,  and  the  sending  forth  of  one  bad 
piece  of  workmanship  would  not  unfrequently  be  attended  with 
heavy  loss,  if  not  perhaps  professional  ruin.  In  matters  of  sport- 
ing the  English  are  extremely  particular,  and  consequently  are 
less  disposed  to  forgive  or  forget  a  piece  of  negligence  on  the  part 
of  a  gunsmith  than  any  other  mechanic,  as  such  negligence  or 
slighting  of  work  is  often  attended  with  serious  results,  in  the 
maiming  or  perhaps  untimely  death  of  some  one  of  their  number, 
perhaps  from  among  a  large  circle  of  influential  sporting  friends, 
whose  patronage  alone  is  sufficient  to  make  a  fortune, — at  all  events, 
quite  strong  enough  to  create  or  destroy  the  professional  reputation 
of  any  gunsmith  in  the  country  whose  character  as  a  mechanic  is 
not  already  well  and  deservedly  established. 


a.^ 


WELDING    BARRELS.  443 


WELDING   BARRELS. 


The  process  for  making  common  gun-barrels  is  very  simple,  and 
is  done  in  the  following  manner: — A  bar  of  iron  is  heated  and 
hammered  out  into  a  thin  flexible  rod,  resembling  a  good-sized 
hoop,  of  a  length  and  thickness  proportionate  to  the  size  and 
weight  of  the  intended  barrel.  This  rod  is  beat  thinner  at  the 
muzzle-end  than  it  is  at  the  end  intended  for  the  breech. 

This  being  arranged,  the  hoop  is  heated  and  turned  round  a 
mandrel,  (a  rod  of  tempered  iron  much  smaller  than  the  intended 
bore  of  the  gun,)  with  the  edges  overlapping  each  other  the  half  of 
an  inch  or  so,  and  when  welded  together  the  barrels  have  the  ap- 
pearance of  being  manufactured  or  bored  from  a  solid  rod  of  iron. 
After  being  turned  round  the  mandrel,  the  overlapping  joints  of 
the  hoop  are  welded  together  by  heating  three  or  four  inches  of 
the  tube  at  a  time,  and  beating  upon  an  anvil  furnished  with  several 
semicircular  furrows  suitable  for  the  various-sized  barrels  that  are 
manufactured.  This  is  the  modus  operandi  adopted  for  forging 
common  barrels,  such  as  are  used  for  exportation,  and  of  which 
trash  immense  quantities  come  to  this  country  through  the  hands 
of  our  hardwaremen. 

The  forging  of  stub-twist  barrels  and  other  barrels  of  a  better 
description  is  quite  a  difi*erent  operation,  and  requires  far  more 
labor  and  skill.  The  rod  of  iron  is  first  heated  to  a  red  heat,  a 
few  inches  at  a  time,  and,  one  end  being  made  stationary  in  a  vice 
or  other  suitable  contrivance,  the  other  is  seized  by  an  instrument 
with  a  handle  similar  to  an  auger,  by  means  of  which  it  is  twisted 
round  a  bar  of  iron  (the  mandrel)  much  smaller  than  the  intended 
bore.  By  this  operation  the  fibres  of  the  metal  are  twisted  in  a 
spiral  direction,  which  arrangement  is  known  to  resist  the  explosive 
force  of  powder  much  more  than  when  the  fibres  all  run  longitudi- 
nally. The  hoops  or  rods  of  the  best  stub-twist  are  generally  about 
half  an  inch  or  less  in  width,  and  consequently  there  will  be  over  two 
spirals  in  every  inch  of  barrel,  when  the  twisting  process  is  com- 
plete, as  the  joints  are  not  made  to  overlap  each  other,  but  are  forced 


444  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

to  unite  by  a  process  termed  "jumping,"  after  the  bar  is  entirely 
twisted.  The  greater  the  number  of  spirals  to  an  inch,  the  more 
labored  and  perfect  is  the  manufacture  of  the  barrel,  and  the  more 
expensive  is  the  getting  of  it  up.  The  rods  for  wire-twist  barrels 
are  extremely  narrow, — only  three-eighths  of  an  inch,  or  less,  in 
width ;  and  the  quantity  of  spirals  is  consequently  increased. 

After  the  hoops  have  been  twisted  round  the  rods,  the  spirals 
are  joined  together  by  heating  the  unclosed  cylinder  to  a  welding- 
heat  and  striking  the  end  against  the  anvil,  which  springs  them 
together  so  forcibly  that,  with  a  little  hammering,  the  whole 
cylinder  becomes  welded  as  if  formed  of  only  one  continuous  piece. 
After  the  spirals  are  joined,  the  barrel  is  hammered  in  the  grooves 
of  the  anvil  to  make  it  perfectly  round. 

It  requires  two,  three,  or  four  spiral  cylinders,  according  to  the 
length  of  the  piece,  to  make  one  barrel;  and  great  nicety  and 
dexterity  are  necessary  to  join  them  together  so  that  the  barrel 
may  appear  to  have  been  made  out  of  one  rod  only.  In  common 
barrels  this  union  of  the  rods  may  be  distinctly  seen  upon  examina- 
tion before  they  are  stained,  and  indeed  very  often  after  they  come 
from  the  stainer's  hands. 

The  next  process  in  the  manufacture  of  barrels  is  what  is  termed 
"  hammer-hardening, ' '  which  is  accomplished  by  beating  the  metal  for 
a  considerable  time  in  the  grooves  of  the  anvil  with  light  hammers, 
for  the  purpose  of  closing  the  pores,  increasing  the  density  and 
elasticity,  and  rendering  the  texture  more  firm,  flexible,  and  solid. 
This  labor  is  not  often  bestowed  upon  ordinary  barrels,  got  up 
merely  for  the  home  or  foreign  trade,  but  on  ordered  or  show-guns 
only. 

BORING. 

The  barrels  are  now  submitted  to  the  boring-mill  for  the  pur- 
pose of  giving  them  their  proper  calibre.  This  end  is  accom- 
plished with  the  assistance  of  steam.  The  barrel  being  properly 
arranged  on  a  frame,  the  boring-bit  is  introduced  into  the  muzzle, 
and,  by  the  application  of  the  necessary  power,  is  made  to  traverse 


GRINDING    AND    TURNING.  445 

the  whole  extent  of  the  barrel,  a  stream  of  water  playing  upon  the 
metal  during  the  whole  process,  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  down 
the  heat  that  is  engendered  by  the  severe  friction  of  the  bit,  and 
which,  if  allowed  to  increase  to  its  full  extent,  might  injure  the 
quality  of  the  metal. 

The  first  or  rough  boring  being  finished,  a  bit  of  still  larger  size 
is  now  introduced,  and  the  same  process  gone  through  with  until 
the  barrel  is  entirely  freed  from  all  unevenness  and  its  whole  inter- 
nal surface  made  to  shine  like  a  mirror. 

If  the  barrels,  after  repeated  borings,  should  still  exhibit  an  un- 
even surface  and  present  flaws  and  depressions,  they  are  rejected, 
and  the  metal  returned  to  the  forge,  as  it  would  be  unsafe  to  bore 
them  still  thinner  when  the  metal  is  so  soft  and  frangible. 

Some  gunsmiths  bore  barrels  by  hand ;  and  a  good  workman  will 
make  a  beautiful  instrument  in  this  way,  although  it  will  take 
treble  the  time  to  finish  it.  The  utmost  nicety  is  requisite  in  the 
boring  of  barrels,  as  they  should  be  perfect  cylinders,  and  of  exact 
calibre  throughout  their  entire  length.  When  they  have  passed 
the  inspection  of  the  lynx-eyed  workman  to  whom  this  important 
process  is  confided,  the  barrels  are  handed  over  to  the  grinder,  to 
be  ground,  turned,  and  polished. 

GRINDING. 

The  barrels  being  bored,  the  grinder  submits  them  to  the  friction 
of  a  revolving  stone,  for  the  purpose  of  freeing  them  from  all  the 
scales  and  roughness  which  cover  them  when  they  come  from  the 
hands  of  the  welder, 

TURNING. 

A  smooth  surface  being  obtained  by  the  application  of  the  stone 
by  the  grinder,  the  barrels  are  next  to  be  turned,  which  is  ac- 
complished either  with  a  common  turning-lathe  or  a  self-acting 
machine. 

A  mandrel  exactly  fitting  the  size  of  the  barrel  is  first  intro- 
duced ;  the  barrel  is  then  placed  in  the  lathe  and  the  machine  set 


446  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

in  motion,  and  the  whole  process  completed  in  a  very  short  time, 
without  any  further  interference  on  the  part  of  the  workman. 

Turning  by  steam  is  far  cheaper  and  even  much  superior  to 
handwork,  as  the  process  of  turning  with  a  common  hand-lathe  is 
laborious  in  the  extreme,  and  quite  uncertain  except  in  the  hands 
of  very  superior  and  skilful  mechanics. 

The  process  of  turning  by  a  simple  lathe  is  as  follows : — The 
barrel  being  fixed  in  the  lathe,  an  inch  or  so  of  the  surface,  both 
at  the  breech  and  muzzle  end,  is  turned  to  the  proper  diameter; 
the  rest  is  then  removed  to  a  distance  of  four  or  five  inches  from 
these  points,  and  another  inch  or  so  of  the  surface  at  either  end  is 
removed,  and  so  on ;  great  care  being  taken,  however,  at  each  opera- 
tion, to  make  the  depth  of  the  turning  correspond  with  the  size  and 
calibre  of  the  barrel.  This  part  of  the  process  being  accomplished, 
the  next  step  is  to  file  away,  by  means  of  an  instrument  termed  a 
"  float,"  the  projecting  surfaces  of  the  barrel  intervening  between  the 
parts  cut  out  by  the  lathe ;  the  barrels  are  now  ready  for  breech- 
ing and  the  tests  of  the  proof-house. 

BRAZING   AND   BREECHINa. 

The  barrels  for  double-guns  are  now  filed  away  at  the  breech 
and  muzzle,  to  make  them  lie  against  each  other  snugly,  bound 
together,  and  then  brazed  with  hard  solder  or  brass  for  several 
inches.  The  practice  of  brazing  is  highly  censured  by  Greener, 
who  asserts  that  by  this  process  the  strength  of  common  barrels  is 
diminished  twelve  and  a  half  per  cent.,  and  that  of  hammer-hard- 
ened barrels  to  a  still  greater  extent.  His  ideas  on  the  subject 
are  doubtless  very  correct,  as  the  heating  of  the  metal  afresh  to  a 
white  heat,  for  the  purpose  of  brazing,  must  necessarily  take  away 
a  portion  of  the  tenacity  or  strength  which  it  has  already  acquired 
during  the  process  of  hammer-hardening.  After  the  brazing,  the 
barrels  are  tapped  or  turned  out,  ready  for  the  reception  of  the 
breeches,  and  then  sent  to  the  proof-house. 


PROVING    BARRELS.  447 


PROVING  BARRELS. 


There  is  no  department  in  the  manufacture  of  a  gun  in  which 
there  is  more  deception  than  that  of  the  proving-house.  We  do  not 
wish  to  be  understood  to  say  that  frauds  upon  the  public  actually 
take  place  under  the  eye  and  with  the  full  cognizance  of  the  com- 
panies to  whom  this  important  duty  is  confided ;  but  we  wish  to  in- 
form our  readers  that  large  quantities  of  barrels  are  palmed  off  on 
the  public,  and  particularly  on  the  American  market,  having  all  the 
insignia  of  the  London  and  Birmingham  proof-houses,  which  never, 
at  any  time,  were  across  the  threshold  of  either  establishment. 

This  is  accomplished  by  forging  the  marks  of  these  companies, 
and  the  deception  is  carried  on  to  a  very  great  extent ;  our  readers, 
therefore,  will  see  at  once  how  much  reliance  can  be  placed  on 
these  marks  when  pointed  out  to  them  by  the  regular  dealers  as 
tests  of  the  goodness  of  suspicious-looking  guns. 

The  proving  of  gun-barrels  was  first  introduced,  according  to 
writers  on  the  subject,  about  the  twelfth  century,  and  originated  with 
the  company  of  gun-makers  themselves.  The  enactments  respecting 
the  department,  however,  after  a  while  became  null  and  void,  from 
a  want  of  adequate  means  and  a  proper  disposition  on  the  part  of 
the  manufacturers  to  enforce  them.  Public  attention,  however, 
was  again  aroused  to  the  importance  of  this  matter  early  in  the 
present  century,  owing  to  the  discredit  that  had  fallen  on  all  Eng- 
lish hand-arms,  insomuch  that  sportsmen  were  obliged  to  seek  their 
guns  in  other  quarters  than  their  own  country,  and  considerable 
numbers  were  purchased  in  Spain  and  France  for  their  use.  In 
1815,  further  legislation  upon  this  subject  made  it  obligatory  upon 
all  manufacturers  to  send  their  gun-barrels  either  to  the  London 
or  Birmingham  proof-houses  to  be  tested,  under  a  penalty  of  twenty 
pounds  for  every  infraction  of  this  ordinance;  and  the  same  fine 
was  attached  to  the  forging  of  the  proof-marks  of  these  companies. 
Previous  to  these  enactments,  thousands  of  guns  were  manufactured 
for  the  foreign  trade  which  were  perfectly  good-for-nothing,  and 
the  dealers   themselves   in   these   "sham-guns,  sham-dam,  park- 


448  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

palings,"  as  thej  were  termed,  knew  full  well  that  they  would 
most  likely  burst  under  the  first  explosion  of  a  moderate-sized 
charge  of  powder  and  shot.  Large  numbers  of  these  dangerous 
weapons  were  sent  to  this  country ;  but  they  were  furnished  in  far 
greater  numbers  to  the  slave-dealers  for  their  nefarious  and  in- 
human traffic  on  the  coast  of  Africa.  One  of  these  worthless  instru- 
ments, costing  but  a  few  shillings,  was  the  usual  price  at  that  time 
of  a  human  being ;  and  what  made  the  transaction  still  more  unholy 
was  the  full  knowledge,  on  the  part  of  the  traders,  that  the  igno- 
rant and  degraded  barterer  in  his  own  flesh  and  blood  would  soon 
pay  the  penalty  of  his  wickedness,  in  the  loss  of  a  portion  of  his 
hand,  if  not  his  life,  by  the  bursting  of  his  ill-gotten  prize. 

In  spite  of  the  parliamentary  enactments  for  the  government 
of  this  important  department,  great  frauds,  as  before  stated,  still 
continue  to  be  practised  upon  the  public,  particularly  upon  foreign 
consumers. 

If  all  the  gun-barrels  that  come  to  our  country  were  properly 
tested  on  the  other  side,  we  would  not  so  often  hear  of  the  burst- 
ing of  guns  and  the  distressing  accidents  consequent  upon  these 
mishaps.  The  fact  is,  that  the  London  and  Birmingham  proof- 
marks  are  not  only  forged  in  England,  but  they  are  even  imitated 
in  Germany;  and  large  quantities  of  the  latter  trash,  far  worse 
than  the  most  inferior  English,  are  imported  into  our  country,  and 
may  be  bought  at  almost  any  price  ranging  from  five  to  fifteen 
dollars  for  a  double-barrelled  gun  of  quite  respectable  appear- 
ance, and  warranted  in  good  faith  by  the  ignorant  dealers  a  regu- 
lar stub-twist. 

Greener  gives  a  proof-scale  of  charges  by  which  every  barrel 
should  be  tested  at  the  established  proof-houses,  and  also  furnishes 
a  complete  description  of  the  whole  business,  which  is  quite  inte- 
resting and  instructive.  All  the  respectable  gunmakers  of  Ame- 
rica test  their  gun-barrels  themselves  before  they  make  them  up  for 
their  customers. 

The  London  proof-house  requires  that  double-barrelled  guns  be 
joined  together  and  breeched  before  testing,  so  that  the  gunsmith 


STAINING    BARRELS.  449 

may  be  prevented  from  making  them  weaker  by  filing  and  brazing 
after  the  proof  is  stamped  on  them. 


STAINING   BARRELS. 

There  are  a  great  many  modes  adopted  as  well  as  receipts  given 
for  the  staining  of  gun-barrels :  the  basis  of  all,  however,  is  the 
action  of  acids  on  the  metal.  Great  numbers  of  inferior  barrels 
are  thus  colored  to  resemble  those  of  a  superior  quality,  and  these 
deceptions  are  very  difficult  to  be  discovered  by  inexperienced 
eyes.  It  was  formerly  supposed  that  the  presence  of  "  smoke-brown 
staining*'  was  a  positive  guarantee  of  the  quality  of  the  metal  from 
which  the  piece  was  manufactured :  such,  however,  is  no  longer  the 
case,  as  the  gunsmiths  are  now  enabled  to  produce  this  particular 
coloring  even  on  the  most  ordinary  barrels.  In  fact,  so  numerous 
and  artful  are  the  tricks  now  resorted  to  by  the  Birmingham  people 
to  deceive  their  customers,  that  the  only  safe  plan  left  by  which 
to  secure  a  good  and  trusty  gun  is  to  order  one  of  "«  competent 
and  honorable  artist,"  of  whom  there  are  several  on  this  side  of  the 
water  as  well  as  on  the  other. 

THE  METAL  USED  IN  THE  MANUFACTURE  OF  GUNS. 

Very  few  sportsmen  are  acquainted  with  the  peculiar  kinds  of 
iron  used  in  the  manufacture  of  gun-barrels.  Although  they  fre- 
quently make  use  of  the  terms  "stub-and-twist,"  "wire-twist," 
"Damascus  barrels,"  &c.,  they  are  generally  quite  ignorant  of  the 
real  meaning  of  these  terms,  and  know  nothing  of  their  import, 

origin,  or  application;  in  truth,  they  palaver  often  like  parrots, 

29 


450  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

without  understanding  the  very  phrases  they  make  use  of.  This 
being  the  case,  we  shall  endeavor  to  enlighten  them  on  the  subject 
in  as  short  a  space  as  possible,  as  we  have  so  many  other  topics  to 
treat  of  that  we  fear  to  dilate  on  any  subject  lest  our  work  become 
too  voluminous  for  our  sporting  friends  to  wade  through. 

STUB-TWIST   BARRELS. 

These  barrels  are  very  scarce, — that  is,  the  real  genuine  stuh- 
twist, — owing  to  the  great  difficulty  of  collecting  the  materials 
from  which  they  are  manufactured,  the  cost  of  working,  &c.  This 
may  at  first  sight  seem  a  strange  assertion  to  some  of  our  readers, 
many  of  whom,  no  doubt,  are  under  the  impression  that  most  of 
the  guns  in  the  possession  of  their  friends,  as  well  as  those  they 
have  themselves,  styled  '^  stuh-twist,''  are  really  and  truly  as 
genuine  specimens  as  could  be  produced  in  any  part  of  the  world. 
Stop  a  moment,  however,  my  incredulous  friends,  till  you  have 
learned  from  Greener  of  what  a  stub-and-twist  barrel  is  com- 
pounded, and  how  it  is  wrought  into  a  gun,  and  then  tell  me  if 
you  can  expect  to  purchase  one  of  these  '^rare  gems"  on  this  side 
of  the  water,  or  even  on  the  other  side,  for  the  paltry  sum  of 
twenty-five  or  thirty  dollars,  lock  and  stock  included. 

"Old  horse-nail  stubs  have,  for  a  great  number  of  years,  been 
considered  the  best  kind  of  scraps  for  the  purpose  of  making  the 
most  superior  gun-barrels.  Numerous  attempts  have  been  made 
to  find  a  composition  of  scraps  to  equal  it,  but  so  far  without 
success.  At  what  time  the  practice  of  using  old  stubs  was  adopted, 
we  have  no  certain  data.  From  the  appearance  of  the  oldest  bar- 
rels, I  should  venture  to  say  that  it  was  coeval  with  their  invention. 
It  requires,  however,  no  gift  of  prophecy  to  say  that  their  use  will 
not  long  continue,  from  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  them  good, 
being  only  now  to  be  procured  from  the  Continent,  and  that  with 
increasing  difficulty. 

"Before  proceeding  to  manufacture  them  into  iron,  women  are 
employed  to  sort  and  examine  each  stub,  to  see  that  no  malleable 
cast-iron  nails  or  other  impurities  are  mixed  with  them.    They  are 


STUB-TWIST    BARRELS.  451 

then  taken  and  put  into  a  drum,  resembling  a  barrel-churn,  through 
the  centre  of  which  passes  a  shaft  that  is  attached  to  the  steam- 
engine,  which  works  the  rolling-mill,  bellows,  &c.  When  the 
machine  is  put  in  motion,  the  stubs  are  rolled  and  tumbled  over 
each  other  to  such  a  degree  that  the  friction  completely  cleanses 
them  of  all  rust,  and  they  come  forth  with  the  brightness  of 
silver.  The  steel  with  which  they  are  mixed,  (generally  coach- 
springs,)  after  being  separated  and  softened,  is  clipped  into  small 
pieces,  corresponding  in  size  to  the  stubs,  by  a  pair  of  large  shears 
working  by  steam.  These  pieces  are  then,  like  the  stubs,  also  put 
into  a  drum,  in  order  to  be  divested  of  any  rust  they  may  retain, 
and  are  subsequently  weighed  out  in  the  proportion  of  twenty-five 
pounds  of  stubs  to  fifteen  of  steel. 

"After  being  properly  mixed  together,  they  are  put  into  an  air- 
furnace  and  heated  to  a  state  of  fusion,  in  which  state  they  are 
stirred  up  by  a  bar  of  the  same  mixture  of  iron  and  steel,  until, 
by  their  adhesion,  they  form  a  ball  of  apparently  melting  metal. 
During  this  process,  the  bar  has  become  sufficiently  heated  to 
attach  itself  to  the  burning  mass,  technically  called  a  bloom  of 
iron,  and  bv  its  aid  the  whole  is  removed  from  the  furnace  to  the- 
forge-hammer,  by  which  it  is  reduced  to  a  bar  of  iron  of  far  less 
weight  than  the  original  mass,  the  weight  lost  being  wasted  in  the 
process  of  welding  and  hammering.  From  the  forge  it  passes  to  the  - 
rolling-mill,  where  it  is  reduced  to  the  size  wanted.  By  this  mode 
of  manufacturing,  the  iron  and  steel  are  so  intimately  united  and 
blended  that  the  peculiar  properties  of  each  are  imparted  to  every 
portion  of  the  mass,  and  the  whole  receives  the  degree  of  hardness 
and  softness  required.  The  process  is  admirable ;  and  the  mixture 
is  calculated  to  produce  a  metal  the  best  fitted,  under  the  circum- 
stances, to  answer  the  purpose  of  manufacturing  gun-barrels  of  the 
best  description." 

Spanish  barrels,  manufactured  of  the  stubs  of  the  nails  used  in 
putting  on  the  shoes  of  the  mules  and  horses,  formerly  had  a  great 
and  deserved  reputation  among  English  sportsmen, — in  fact,  com- 
manding prices  far  beyond  any  guns  produced  in  England.     So 


452  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

great  was  the  demand  for  these  far-famed  barrels,  and  so  eager 
was  every  one  to  possess  them,  that  it  was  not  uncommon — so  Blain 
informs  us — for  purchasers  to  be  found  at  twenty,  thirty,  and  even 
forty  pounds  for  a  single  barrel. 

The  labor  bestowed  upon  the  manufacture  of  these  barrels  was 
exceeded  alone  by  that  of  the  operatives  on  Damascus  arms ;  and  to 
such  an  extent  was  the  hammering  of  the  lusty  smith  carried,  that 
it  was  not  unusual  for  a  mass  of  stubs,  weighing  from  forty  to  fifty 
pounds,  to  be  reduced  by  repeated  beatings  to  a  rod  sufficient  only 
to  make  a  single  barrel.  By  this  long  and  arduous  process  the 
utmost  ductility,  tenacity,  and  purity  were  acquired,  which  ren- 
dered these  guns  superior  for  safety  and  shooting-powers  to  all 
other  manufactures.  Spanish  barrels  are  no  longer  sought  after 
with  the  same  eagerness  as  in  former  times,  owing  to  many  circum- 
stances that  have  operated  to  prejudice  the  public  against  them,  as 
well  as  the  present  superior  character  of  the  stub-twist  manufac- 
tured by  English  artists,  and  which,  we  opine,  cannot  be  ex- 
celled by  any  barrels  coming  either  from  Spain  or  the  East. 

Great  deception  was  practised  in  the  getting  up  and  sale  of 
Spanish  barrels  as  soon  as  it  was  known  that  there  was  such  a 
demand  for  them  in  England, — a  demand,  in  truth,  which  could  not 
be  supplied  in  the  ordinary  course  of  trade,  as  there  was  not  suffi- 
cient genuine  stub-metal  in  all  Spain  to  make  these  barrels  fast 
enough  for  their  foreign,  much  less  their  home,  consumption.  In- 
ferior barrels  consequently  were  imported  from  Spain,  having  the 
names  of  the  most  celebrated  makers  of  Madrid  engraved  on  them. 
Nor  was  this  the  only  deception  practised  upon  the  public,  for 
Spanish  barrels  were  actually  counterfeited  in  the  manufactories 
of  Germany,  and  the  country  consequently  soon  became  flooded 
with  the  most  worthless  and  spurious  trash  imaginable,  all  purport- 
ing to  be  of  real  Spanish  origin. 

There  is  considerable  difference  between  a  stub-twist  and  a 
wire-twist,  or  a  stub-twist  and  a  plain-twist.  All  twists  are  not 
stub-twists ;  neither  is  it  necessary  for  all  stub-barrels  to  be  twisted 
barrels.      Although  there  is  a  wide  difference  between  all  these 


WIRE-TWIST    IRON.  453 

terms,  it  is  very  usual  for  our  dealers  in  guns,  as  well  as  sports- 
men, to  make  little  or  no  distinction  in  their  application.  We 
do  not,  however,  wish  to  find  fault  with  our  hardwaremen  for 
the  exhibition  of  such  ignorance,  when  real,  as  they  have  but  few, 
if  any,  sources  from  which  they  can  obtain  such  information  as 
would  set  them  right  on  these  subjects.  There  are,  nevertheless, 
some  importers  as  well  as  traders  in  guns  among  us  who  do  know 
better  than  to  impose  upon  their  ignorant  customers  in  the  shame- 
ful manner  in  which  they  do,  as  they  are  well  aware  of  the  differ- 
ence in  cost,  workmanship,,  and  quality,  between  a  genuine  stub- 
twist  and  a  wire-twist,  and  they  should  not  boldly  assert  the  one 
to  be  as  good  as  the  other,  when  they  know  what  they  say  is  false 
in  every  particular.  Such  conduct  is  very  culpable,  and  more  so 
when  they  are  fully  aware  that  the  weapons  they  are  selling  are 
imperfect  and  often  really  dangerous  to  use. 


WIRE-TWIST   IRON. 

This  is  the  next  quality  of  iron  used  in  the  manufacture  of  gun- 
barrels,  and  the  mode  of  making  the  bar  of  wire-twist  is  thus  de- 
scribed by  Greener : — "  Alternate  bars  of  iron  and  steel  are  placed 
on  each  other  in  numbers  of  six  each :  they  are  then  forged  into 
one  bodj  or  bar ;  after  which,  if  for  the  making  of  wire-twist  bar- 
rels, they  are  rolled  down  into  rods  of  three-eighths  of  an  inch  in 
breadth  and  varying  in  thickness  according  to  the  size  of  the  bar- 
rel for  which  they  are  wanted ;  if  for  Damascus,  invariably  three- 
eighths  of  an  inch  square.     When  about  to  be  twisted  into  spirals 


454  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

for  barrels,  care  must  be  taken  that  tbe  edges  of  the  steel  and  iron 
shall  be  outermost,  so  that,  when  the  barrel  is  finished  and  browned, 
it  shall  have  the  appearance  of  being  welded  of  pieces  the  size  of 
wires  the  whole  length  of  the  barrel."  A  little  further  on,  our 
author  remarks : — "  The  objection  made  to  the  wire-twist  is  that, 
owing  to  the  iron  and  steel  being  perfectly  separate  bodies,  run- 
ning through  the  whole  thickness  of  the  barrel,  there  is  a  difficulty 
in  welding  them  perfectly,  and  of  course  there  is  a  danger  of  its 
breaking  across  at  any  trifling  imperfection.  This  objection  is 
certainly  well  grounded,  as  many  barrels  break  in  the  proving.  I 
have  myself  seen  a  very  strong  barrel  indeed  broken  across  the 
knee  without  the  slightest  difficulty,  while  to  all  appearances  it  was 
perfectly  sound.  This  is  the  reason  why  the  manufacturers  have 
ceased  to  make  them,  except  for  the  American  trade.'' 

It  is  well  known  that  every  description  of  gun-barrel  made  in 
England  that  is  deemed  of  a  very  inferior  quality — in  fact,  too 
dangerous  to  be  manufactured  into  a  gun  at  home — is  shipped  to 
our  country  for  sale.  The  knowledge  of  this  circumstance  should 
make  all  sportsmen  rather  chary  in  the  purchase  of  guns  from  the 
hands  of  those  who,  from  ignorance  or  want  of  principle,  are  ready 
to  palm  upon  them  any  kind  of  a  weapon,  no  matter  how  inferior 
or  how  dangerous. 

DAMASCUS   BARRELS 

"  Are  pretty  to  look  at,  but  they  possess  no  advantage  over  the 
wire-twist  barrels ;  if  any  thing,  they  are  inferior  in  strength  and 
tenacity.  The  twisting  which  the  barrels  go  through  before  they 
are  welded  together,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  into  a  barrel,  in- 
stead of  adding  strength  to  the  body  of  the  metal,  rather  loosens 
the  texture,  by  tearing  asunder  the  parallel  fibres,  the  close  adhe- 
sion of  which  constitutes  the  power  and  strength  of  the  metal." 

These  barrels  are  made  as  follows: — "When  about  to  be  con- 
verted into  Damascus,  the  rod  is  heated  the  whole  length,  and  the 
two  square  ends  put  into  the  heads  (one  of  which  is  a  fixture)  of  a 
description  of  lathe,  which  is  worked  by  a  handle  similar  to  a 


CHARCOAL    IRON.  455 

winch.  It  is  then  twisted  like  a  rope,  or,  as  Colonel  Hawker  says, 
wrung  as  wet  clothes  are,  until  it  has  from  twelve  to  fourteen  com- 
plete turns  in  the  inch.  By  this  severe  twisting,  the  rod  of  six 
feet  is  shortened  to  three,  doubled  in  thickness,  and  made  perfectly 
round.  Three  of  these  rods  are  then  placed  together,  with  the 
inclinations  of  the  twists  running  in  opposite  directions.  They 
are  then  welded  into  one,  and  rolled  down  to  a  rod  eleven-six- 
teenths of  an  inch  in  breadth." 

CHARCOAL   IRON. 

This  species  of  iron,  we  believe,  is  the  kind  of  metal  from  which 
most  of  the  guns  imported  into  our  country  by  hardwaremen  are 
manufactured.  When  we  say  most  of  the  guns,  we  mean  most  of 
the  hest  guns,  as  there  are  thousands  of  guns  made  of  still  more 
inferior  metal  than  charcoal  iron,  expressly  for  the  American 
trade.  These  barrels  are  generally  palmed  off  upon  the  ignorant 
as  the  real  stuh-twist;  they  are,  however,  far  inferior  to  the 
genuine  article.  The  metal  is  composed  entirely  of  old  iron 
without  any  admixture  of  steel,  and  therefore  is  greatly  deficient 
in  the  strength  or  elasticity  of  either  the  stub  or  wire-twist. 

OTHER   KINDS   OP   METALS. 

There  are  several  other  varieties  of  metals  or  compounds  from 
which  gun-barrels  are  manufactured  for  foreign  trade;  they  are 
generally  far  inferior  even  to  charcoal  iron,  and  are  wanting  not 
only  in  strength,  but  also  in  the  tenacity  and  ductility  so  neces- 
sary for  the  making  of  an  instrument  which  is  intended  to  hold 
within  bounds  so  dangerous  and  powerful  a  composition  as  gun- 
powder. Great  numbers  of  these  worthless  weapons  find  their 
way  to  this  country,  and  hundreds  of  individuals  are  crippled  with 
them  every  year.  A  full  description  of  all  these  metals  will  be 
found  in  Greener,  as  also  a  general  expose  of  all  the  deceptions 
carried  on  in  the  gun-trade. 


456  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

WOOD   FOR   STOCKINa. 

Walnut  is  universally  preferred  in  America  for  stocking ;  it  is 
abundant,  strong,  durable,  and  handsome,  and  therefore  combines 
many,  if  not  all,  the  qualities  calculated  to  recommend  it  to  the 
gunsmith.  Its  natural  beauty  is  very  much  improved  by  staining, 
and  many  useful  points  under  this  head  may  be  learned  from 
Hawker.  The  following  method,  however,  we  meet  with  in 
Greener's  work ;  and,  as  we  have  tested  its  merits,  we  feel  no  hesita- 
tion in  recommending  it  to  our  readers: — "After  having  got  them 
(the  stocks)  dressed  and  sandpapered  as  fine  as  you  possibly  can 
for  walnut,  take  a  composition  of  unboiled  linseed-oil  and  alkanet- 
root,  in  the  proportion  of  four  ounces  of  the  latter  to  half  a  pint 
of  oil.  These,  after  being  amalgamated  for  a  week,  will  be  of  a 
beautiful  crimson  color,  and  will  not  fail  to  make  walnut  a  hand- 
some brown,  on  being  laid  on  three  or  four  times  with  a  sponge." 

Bird's-eye  maple  is  also  used  for  stocking,  and  is  preferred  by 
some  to  walnut  on  account  of  the  greater  beauty  of  its  grain ;  we, 
however,  and  most  other  sportsmen,  consider  it  far  inferior  to 
walnut.  Greener  remarks  that  maple  possesses  less  "  conducting 
principle"  than  any  other  kind  of  wood,  and  therefore  is  well  cal- 
culated to  lessen  the  recoil,  and  on  this  account  is  best  calculated 
for  gun-stocks.  Of  this  argument,  however,  we  think  very  lightly, 
for  the  reason  that  no  partridge-gun  properly  loaded  should  recoil 
with  sufiicient  force  to  give  a  disagreeable  shock,  whether  the  stock 
be  made  of  walnut,  maple,  or  any  other  kind  of  suitable  wood. 

The  following  method  for  staining  maple,  taken  from  the  same 
source  as  the  above,  we  have  also  used, — not  on  a  gun-stock,  how- 
ever, as  we  have  no  gun  stocked  with  this  description  of  wood ; 
but  we  tried  it  on  some  articles  of  furniture,  and  found  it  to 
answer  a  most  excellent  purpose, — in  fact,  imparting  a  beautiful 
and  elegant  appearance  to  the  wood : — 

"  Mix  an  ounce  and  a  half  of  nitrous  acid  with  about  the  same 
quantity  of  iron  turnings  or  filings.  After  the  gas  which  is  created 
by  the  mixture  has  evaporated,  take  a  piece  of  rag  and  dip  it  in 


WOOD    FOR    STOCKING. 


457 


the  liquid  left,  and  wet  all  parts  of  the  stock  you  wish  to  stain. 
Let  it  stand  until  it  is  quite  dry ;  then  lay  on  a  slight  coat  of  the 
oil  and  alkanet-root.  Take  a  quantity  of  joiners'  shavings :  set 
fire  to  them,  and  pass  the  stock  through  the  flame  until  it  becomes 
quite  black  or  the  oil  is  quite  burnt  off.  Re-sandpaper  it,  and 
you  will  find  it,  if  possessing  any  figure,  of  a  beautiful  mottle. 
Add  a  few  more  coats  of  oil ;  it  is  then  ready  for  varnishing,  or 
any  other  way  you  may  fancy  to  have  it  finished." 

Maple  stained  in  this  way  looks  very  beautiful,  but  we  do  not 
consider  it  either  so  handsome  or  so  suitable  for  stocking  as 
walnut ;  it  is  much  more  brittle  and  knotty,  and  is  liable  to  break 
if  roughly  handled. 


'■"  /VV^"^ 


|li\'i»'i'''ifi,''M     f'^r}^^^ 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 


THE  ART   OF   COOKING   GAME. 


"  God  sends  meat:" — who  sends  cooks? 

Nequaquam  satis  in  re  una  consumere  curam : 
Ut  si  quis  solum  hoc,  mala  ne  sint  vina,  laboret, 
Quali  perfundat  pisces  securus  olivo." 

0  not  imagine,  brother  sportsman,  that  we 
are  going  to  dive  into  all  the  mysteries  and 
complicated  paraphernalia  of  a  cookery- 
book,  or,  as  a  scientific  gourmand,  that  we 
are  about  to  extol  alone  the  pleasures,  the 
delights,  and  the  joys,  of  a  well-spread 
table.      In  extenuation,  or  rather  in  sup- 
port, of  our  trifling  efforts  to  promote  the 
happiness  of  our  sporting  friends  when  as- 
sembled around  the  convivial  board  with  appetites  made  vigorous  by 
the  manly  labors  of  the  field,  we  beg  to  call  their  attention  for  a  mo- 
ment to  the  sage  remarks  of  the  philosophic  Rumford  when  speaking 

on  this  subject :— "  The  enjoyments  which  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  bulk 

458 


THE    ART    OF    COOKING    GAME.  469 

of  mankind  are  not  so  numerous  as  to  render  an  attempt  to  increase 
them  superfluous.  And  even  in  regard  to  those  who  have  it  in 
their  power  to  gratify  their  appetites  to  the  utmost  extent  of  their 
wishes,  it  is  surely  rendering  them  a  very  important  service  to 
show  them  how  they  may  increase  their  pleasures  without  destroy- 
ing their  health."  Dr.  Mayo,  in  his  "Philosophy  of  Living,"  also 
remarks  that  ''man,  unlike  animals,  is  in  best  humor  when  he  is 
feeding,  and  more  disposed  then  than  at  other  times  to  cultivate 
those  amicable  relations  by  which  the  bonds  of  society  are 
strengthened." 

Who  among  our  readers  will  not  cheerfully  acknowledge  the 
force  of  such  sentiments,  emanating,  as  they  do,  from  men  of  study, 
reflection,  and  practical  observation?  Who  among  them  will  not 
concede,  in  the  fulness  of  his  heart,  that  "a  good  dinner  is  one  of 
the  greatest  enjoyments  of  human  life"?  Who  ever  knew  of  a 
philosopher  refusing  to  participate  in  the  festivities  of  a  banquet  ? 
And  who  ever  encountered  the  still  stranger  sight  of  a  disciple  of 
Hippocrates  living  up  to  the  dietetic  precepts  laid  down  for  the 
guidance  of  his  refractory  patients  ? 

Look  around  you  on  every  side,  ye  carping  cynics  and  snarling 
bigots,  and  see  how  many  men  of  the  greatest  talents  and  rarest 
virtues,  whether  of  the  present  day  or  of  ages  past,  have  sought 
pleasure  in  the  innocent  enjoyments  of  the  table,  and  thus  convince 
yourselves  that  these  indulgences  are  not  "incompatible  with  in- 
tellectual pursuits  or  mental  superiority."  Doctor  Johnson,  with 
all  his  wonderful  attainments,  did  not  consider  a  good  dinner  or  a 
recherche  supper  beneath  his  attention;  for  we  are  informed  by 
Boswell,  his  biographer,  that  "  he  never  knew  a  man  who  relished 
good  eating  more  than  he  did ;  and  when  at  table  he  was  wholly 
absorbed  in  the  business  of  the  moment."  The  doctor  himself 
says,  in  his  usual  quaint  and  philosophic  style,  '■'Some  people  have 
a  foolish  way  of  not  minding,  or  pretending  not  to  mind,  what 
they  eat :  for  my  part,  I  mind  my  belly  very  studiously  and  very 
carefully ;  and  I  look  upon  it  that  he  who  does  not  mind  his  belly 
will  hardly  mind  any  thing  else." 


460  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPOETSMAN. 

How  perfectly  correct  and  natural  do  these  remarks  appear  to 
us,  when  we  reflect  for  a  moment  on  the  intimate  sympathy  and 
peculiarly  direct  communication  existing  between  the  head  arid  the 
stomach !  If  the  least  irregularity  in  the  natural  functions  of  the 
bowels  takes  place,  with  what  rapidity  is  it  followed  by  a  propor- 
tional degree  of  malaise  at  the  very  centre  of  life, — the  brain ! 

In  fact,  the  healthy  operation  of  the  whole  natural  economy  is 
dependent  in  a  great  measure  upon  the  state  of  the  stomach ;  but 
the  brain  watches  the  actions  of  this  organ  with  a  most  jealous 
eye,  and  in  most  persons  is  the  very  first  to  strike  the  alarm  at  the 
presence  of  gross  or  badly-cooked  food ;  and  it  has  been  most 
justly  remarked  that  "he  who  would  have  a  clear  head  must  have 
a  clean  stomach.'' 

If  such  be  the  fact,  (and  no  one  certainly  will  dispute  it,)  how 
necessary  is  it  that  we  should  not  only  regard  the  quality  of  our 
food,  but  that  we  should  have  an  eye  to  the  proper  preparation  of 
it  by  the  cook  before  receiving  it  into  so  important  an  organ  as 
the  stomach !  We  do  not  now  address  our  remarks  to  those  whose 
health  is  so  robust,  and  whose  habits  and  associations  in  life  have 
been  such  as  to  force  them  to  remain  happy  and  contented  with 
the  coarsest  fare,  and  whose  stomachs  consequently  have  attained 
the  vigor  of  an  ostrich  or  the  capacity  of  an  anaconda ;  such  in- 
dividuals, we  know  full  well,  would  naturally  accuse  us  of  over- 
refinement  and  ridiculous  nicety.  Neither  do  we  wish  to  encourage 
or  uphold  in  their  efi'eminate  opinions  those  delicate  and  epicurean 
dandies  who  cannot  enjoy  a  meal  beyond  the  vile  precincts  of  an 
eating-house  or  the  luxurious  saloons  of  a  club-room,  or  whose 
pampered  stomachs  are  never  sated,  save  when  tempted  with  all 
the  niceties  that  the  markets  can  produce,  artistically  concocted 
into  savory  stews,  outlandish  fricandeaux,  greasy  ragoHts,  high- 
sounding /Wcass^es,  and  dainty  salmis. 

Such  fellows  as  these  latter,  '' quihus  in  solo  vivendi  causa  pa- 
lato  est;'  whose  brains,  (what  little  they  may  possess,)  as  well  as 
their  hearts,  are  located  in  their  bellies,  are  objects  rather  of  our 
commiseration,  and  wholly  beneath  the  notice  of  any  sensible  man, 


THE    ART    OF    COOKING    GAME.  461 

save  that,  like  peacocks  at  the  grand  congregation  of  the  feathered 
race,  they  serve  the  purpose  occasionally  of  adorning  a  dinner- 
table,  of  amusing  the  good-natured  host  by  their  senseless  fripon- 
nerie,  or  perhaps,  by  the  stateness  of  their  wit  and  the  dulness  of 
their  speech,  of  setting  off  the  more  cultivated  jeux-d' esprit  of 
some  favored  ban  compagnon. 

In  fact,  we  have  an  utter  abhorrence  for  a  man  in  good  health 
who  cannot  "rough  and  tumble  it"  in  perfect  good-humor  for  a 
few  days  when  circumstances  require  it,  whether  it  be  to  repose 
one's  wearied  limbs  even  upon  a  shaggy  buffalo  robe,  under  the 
wide  canopy  of  a  starless  heaven,  or  to  stretch  them  on  the  soft 
and  downy  feathers  of  a  luxurious  bed,  surrounded  by  all  the 
gaudy  trappings  of  an  ambitious  upholsterer ;  whether  it  be  to  sit 
down  to  a  mess  of  cold  pork  and  brown  bread,  or  to  a  round  of 
juicy  roast-beef:  in  fact,  a  sportsman  should  be  ever  ready  in  all 
cheerfulness  to  exclaim  in  the  words  of  the  ancient  bard,  ^^Rure 
meo  possum  quodvis  perferre  patique.''  But,  at  the  same  time, 
we  must  acknowledge,  on  the  other  hand,  that  we  equally  despise 
an  ignorant,  low-minded  fellow,  who  affects  to  prefer  salt  pork  to 
savory  venison,  or  a  barnyard  duck  to  a  Chesapeake  canvas-back, 
or  rotgut  whisky  to  sparkling  heidseck.  Such  a  savage  as  this  is 
more  fit  for  the  negro  quarter  than  the  banquet-room  of  the  polished 
and  refined. 

The  rational  gratification  of  a  natural  appetite  with  such  dainties 
as  a  kind  Providence,  in  his  infinite  goodness,  has  given  us  in  this 
world,  cannot  justly  be  called  gluttony  ;  nor  can  a  proper  attention 
or  nice  discrimination  in  serving  them  up  be  termed  sensuality ; 
as  both  the  one  and  the  other  are  the  actual  gifts  of  the  Almighty, 
— the  different  varieties  of  viands  on  the  one  hand  to  tempt  our 
palates,  and  the  exquisite  sense  of  taste  on  the  other  to  enable  us 
to  appreciate  them  when  laid  before  us.  We  have  observed 
that  those  among  our  acquaintances  who  most  frequently  speak 
discouragingly  of  the  pleasures  of  the  table,  and  most  vociferously 
disclaim  all  pretensions  to  what  they  significantly  term  good  eat- 
ing,— which,  in  truth,  means  nothing  more  nor  less  than  having 


462-  lewis's     AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

good  food  cooked  in  a  wholesome  and  sensible  manner, — these  same 
individuals,  we  say,  when  seated  at  the  festive  board,  are  the  very 
foremost  to  find  fault  if  the  dishes  are  not  served  up  in  becoming 
style,  or  rather  in  accordance  with  their  own  peculiar  and  some- 
times outlandish  notions. 

What  gluttony,  forsooth,  or  sensuality  either,  is  there  in  prefer- 
ring a  plain  roasted  potato  to  a  boiled  one  ?  And  pray,  what  glut- 
tony or  sensuality  is  there  in  preferring  rich  venison-soup  to  thin 
mutton-broth,  or  a  larded  partridge  to  a  young  squab,  or  mellow 
wine  to  tart  cider? 

Such  differences  as  these  are  mere  matters  of  habit  or  education ; 
and  a  cannibal  may  with  equal  propriety  be  termed  a  sensualist 
when  greedily  devouring  the  tender  flesh  of  a  young  infant,  as 
a  refined  epicure  when  warmly  extolling  the  gamy  flavor  of  the 
leg  of  a  grouse. 

We  do  not  profess  to  be  a  good  cook,  either  practically,  scienti- 
fically, or  theoretically,  nor  do  we  aspire  to  so  enviable  a  distinc- 
tion, although  the  magnus  coquus  of  princely  establishments  has 
always  been  an  ofiicer  of  considerable  dignity ;  indeed,  so  highly  was 
the  profession  esteemed  among  the  luxurious  ancients  that  a  good 
cook,  we  are  informed,  was  termed  hominum  servatorem, — the  pre- 
server of  mankind.* 

Notwithstanding  all  this  high  appreciation  of  culinary  talents, 
we,  like  many  others,  would  greatly  prefer  leaving  the  branch, 
with  all  its  honors  and  practical  operations,  in  the  hands  of  those 
who  have  made  the  scientia  popince  their  particular  study  and 
pursuit ;  though  we  cannot  refrain  from  venturing  a  few  remarks 
in  reference  to  the  art,  so  far  as  it  concerns  the  comfort  of  the 
sportsman.  We  do  not,  however,  consider  the  subject  of  cookery 
(as  some  foolish  persons  would  aff'ect)  beneath  our  notice,  but,  on 
the  other  hand,  regret  exceedingly  that  our  unavoidable  ignorance 
on  this  score  will  confine  our  observations  within  a  very  limited 
sphere. 


See  ''The  Cook's  Oracle. 


THE    ART    OF    COOKING    GAME.  463 

Nothing  is  more  annoying — at  least  to  us,  and  no  doubt  gene- 
rally to  our  friends — than  to  toil  after  game  all  day,  even  if  this 
toil  be  our  pleasure,  and  then  have  it  totally  ruined  by  the  care- 
lessness or  ignorance  of  the  cook;  and,  what  is  worse  than  all, 
perhaps  disappoint  a  score  of  anxious  guests,  whom,  in  the  good- 
ness of  our  heart,  we  have  asked  to  be  partakers  of  our  feast. 

We  are  not  a  cook,  brother  sportsman,  nor  are  we  a  glutton ; 
but  we  may,  perhaps,  be  a  gourmand,  or,  in  other  words,  an  epicure, 
in  all  that  relates  to  the  cooking  and  serving  up  of  game.  There 
is,  however,  a  wide  distinction  between  these  two  characters.  The 
epicure,  by  the  acuteness  of  his  palate  in  the  exercise  of  that  sense 
bestowed  upon  him  by  his  Creator,  is  able  to  distinguish  the  good 
from  the  bad.  The  other  regards  not  the  delicacy  or  the  quality 
of  the  food  set  before  him,  but  rejoices  alone  at  the  quantity  which 
he  may  be  permitted  to  stow  away  in  his  capacious,  ever-craving 
maw. 

If  a  greedy,  gormandizing  fellow,  unaccustomed  to  good  living 
and  moderate  drinking,  chooses  to  overload  his  stomach  at  a  din- 
ner-table, surely  such  beastly  conduct  is  no  argument  against  the 
rational  enjoyment  of  eating  in  .moderation,  or  against  the  seduc- 
tions consequent  upon  good  cookery  and  highly-seasoned  food ;  for 
it  is  a  well-known  fact,  as  stated  by  Accum,  that  "  savages,  whose 
cookery  is  in  the  rudest  state,  are  more  apt  to  overeat  themselves 
than  the  veriest  belly-god  of  a  luxurious  and  refined  people, — a 
fact  which  of  itself  is  sufficient  to  prove  that  it  is  not  cookery 
which  is  the  cause  of  gluttony  and  surfeiting.  The  savage,  in- 
deed, suffers  far  less  from  his  swinish  excesses  than  the  sedentary 
and  refined  gourmand ;  for,  after  sleeping  sometimes  for  a  whole 
day,  having  gorged  himself  with  food,  hunger  again  drives  him 
forth  to  the  chase,  in  which  he  soon  gets  rid  of  the  ill  effects  of 
his  overloaded  stomach.  Surely,  cookery  is  not  to  blame  for  the 
effects  of  gluttony,  indolence,  and  sedentary  occupations;  yet  it 
does  appear  that  all  its  effects  are  erroneously  charged  to  the 
account  of  the  refined  art  of  cookery." 

Although  we  may  be  willing  to  acknowledge  ourselves  in  some 


464  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

respects  a  gourmet,  still,  we  do  not  think  that  our  love  of  the 
good  things  of  this  world  could  ever  induce  us,  like  Apicius,  to 
offer  our  guests  a  ragoM  composed  exclusively  of  the  tongues  of 
"peacocks  and  nightingales,"  or  even  of  "partridges  and  reed- 
birds  ;"  nor  would  we  desire,  like  Yitellius,  to  serve  up  for  our 
brother,  no  matter  how  much  beloved,  a  feast  composed  of  two 
thousand  dishes  of  fish  and  seven  thousand  of  poultry.  Neither 
is  our  taste  so  cultivated  or  refined  as  to  hanker  after  the  delicate 
flesh  of  young  asses  or  the  womb  of  a  pregnant  sow,*  as  served 
up  on  the  festive  boards  of  the  luxurious  Romans,  or  to  relish  the 
leg  of  a  young  puppy,  as  greedily  devoured  by  the  curious  inhabit- 
ants of  the  Celestial  Empire ;  nor  is  our  palate  so  distorted  that 
we  could  ever  fancy,  as  some  of  our  friends  affect  to  do,  the  trail 
of  a  roasted  woodcock  or  the  contents  of  a  snipe's  stomach. 

Nevertheless,  if  put  upon  short  allowance,  we  might  be  glad  to 
partake  of  any  of  the  above  dishes,  as  well  as  rattlesnake- 
soup,  whale-blubber,  and  train-oil,  without  at  the  same  time  merit- 
ing the  ignoble  stigma  of  a  glutton,  since  ''necessitas  non  hahet 


What,  my  delicate  reader,  would  you  think  of  a  man  that  ate, 
at  one  meal, 

4  pounds  of  raw  cow's  udder, 
10      "        "    raw  beef, 
2       "        "    tallow  candles. 

Total,  16, 

and  washing  the  whole  down  with  five  bottles  of  porter?  You 
would  naturally,  and  very  justly,  remark,  "What  a  hog!  what  a 
cormorant !"  Strange  as  it  may  appear,  however,  such  was  the 
meal  of  Charles  Domery,  when  a  prisoner  of  war  at  Liverpool ; 
and,  although  allowed  the  daily  rations  of  ten  men,  he  was  not 
satisfied. 


*  *'  Non  Hercule  miror, 
Aiebat,  si  qui  comedunt  bona,  quum  sit  obeso 
Nil  melius  turdo,  vulva  ntlpulchrius  ampld." 


THE    ART    OF    COOKING    GAME.  465 

It  was  not  necessary  that  the  science  of  culinary  chemistry 
should  be  brought  into  action  to  provoke  an  artificial  appetite  in 
this  individual:  he  was  a  glutton  de  facto.  Nature  made  him 
such;  and  nothing  but  the  strongest  food  could  satisfy  his  inor- 
dinate cravings. 

In  fine,  with  the  sentiments  of  Kitchener,  and  in  the  words  of 
Accum,  "the  pleasures  of  the  table  have  always  been  highly  ap- 
preciated and  sedulously  cultivated  among  civilized  people  of  every 
age  and  nation ;  and,  in  spite  of  the  stoic,  it  must  be  admitted  that 
they  are  the  first  which  we  enjoy,  the  last  we  abandon,  and  those 
of  which  we  most  frequently  partake." 

"  Cookery  is  the  soul  of  festivity,  at  all  times  and  in  all  ages. 
How  many  marriages  have  been  the  consequence  of  meeting  at 
dinner !  How  much  good  fortune  has  been  the  result  of  a  good 
supper !  At  what  moment  of  our  existence  are  we  happier  than 
at  table?  There  hatred  and  animosity  are  lulled  to  sleep,  and 
pleasure  alone  reigns."  These  are  the  words,  and  such  are  the 
sentiments,  of  the  illustrious  Louis  Eustache  Ude,  than  whom  no 
more  accomplished  maitre  de  cuisine  has  ever  lived. 


-3r::l^ 


i\ 


80 


466  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

TO   SELECT   GAME. 

The  sportsman  will  often  find  it  to  his  advantage  to  know  how 
to  select  game,  as  well  as  to  shoot  it  or  cook  it.  We  will,  there- 
fore, before  entering  more  fully  into  the  culinary  department,  give 
him  a  few  hints  upon  this  subject,  which  he  may  turn  to  good 
account  as  soon  as  a  favorable  opportunity  presents  itself. 

There  are  three  important  points  to  be  observed  in  the  choice  of 
game: — namely,  the  weight  or  size  of  the  bird,  the  age,  and  the 
time  of  its  being  killed. 

Those  birds  which  are  plump  and  heavy  are,  of  course,  prefer- 
able to  those  that  are  slim  and  light.  A  little  practice  will  soon 
teach  the  sportsman  to  ascertain  the  comparative  weight  of  birds  by 
poising  or  rather  weighing  them  on  the  first  joint  of  his  index  finger. 
Young  birds  are  far  better  than  old  ones ;  their  skin  is  much 
softer,  and  tears  easily,  their  bills  pliable,  their  legs  and  feet 
smooth  and  of  a  light  color ;  their  plumage  is  also  lighter.  The 
hen  bird  is  generally  preferable  to  the  cock  bird,  being  more  juicy 
and  tender. 

When  recently  killed,  the  eyes  are  full  and  natural ;  the  inside 
of  the  mouth,  tongue,  and  throat,  looks  fresh,  the  skin  white,  and 
the  whole  body  smells  sweet. 

If,  on  the  contrary,  the  birds  be  old,  they  will  be  more  tough 
and  far  less  palatable,  their  bills  hard,  horny,  and  worn  off,  their 
legs  rough  and  scaly,  their  feet  ragged,  and  their  nails  short  and 
blunt.  If  killed  some  days,  the  eyes  will  be  sunk,  their  fulness 
gone,  the  inside  of  the  bill,  the  tongue,  and  the  throat,  slimy  and 
fetid,  the  vent  soft  and  of  a  dark-bluish  color,  the  legs  and  feet 
dry  and  husky  to  the  touch. 

So  far  as  our  experience  teaches  us,  no  kind  of  game-bird  im- 
proves by  keeping  over  two  or  three  days,  although  in  cold  weather 
they  may  not  be  injured  by  it.  Old  and  tough  grouse  (pheasants) 
may  certainly  become  more  tender  by  age,  and  perhaps  may  eat 
more  palatably  when  in  a  state  of  half  decomposition  than  when 
perfectly  fresh ;  but  this  argues  nothing,  as  the  flesh  was  not  good 


RULES    FOR    SELECTING    GAME.  461 

in  the  first  place,  and  any  change  in  its  structure  might,  therefore, 
be  for  the  better. 

We  do  not,  however,  say  that  game  should  be  eaten  as  soon 
after  being  killed  as  possible,  for  that  would  be  wrong,  except  in 
the  case  of  some  water-fowl;  however,  we  are  sa,tisfied  that  snipe, 
woodcock,  plover,  rail,  and  reed-birds,  can  be  eaten  with  as  much 
relish  on  the  day  that  they  are  shot  as  at  any  subsequent  period, 
and  perhaps  are  never  so  good  on  the  third  day  as  they  are  on  the 
first ;  at  least,  such  is  our  notion  on  the  subject,  and  perhaps  we 
will  be  sustained  in  this  opinion  by  some  of  our  friends.  We 
have  no  fancy  for  putting  into  our  stomach  half-decomposed  sub- 
stances of  any  kind ;  much  less  have  we  so  distorted,  so  depraved 
a  taste  as  to  desire  to  partake  of  tainted,  par-rotten  game,  or  to 
chew  up  the  half-digested  leeches,  worms,  and  bugs  often  to  be 
found  in  their  stomachs.  Away  with  such  mock  refinement,  such 
silly  affectation ! 

In  cold  weather  partridges  will  keep  better  than  any  other  kind 
of  game,  provided  they  are  hung  separately  and  shielded  from  the 
rain  and  sun ;  those  that  are  to  be  kept  for  any  time  should  be  as 
free  from  shot-wounds  as  possible.  It  is  not  necessary  to  draw 
them  or  pick  them ;  if  picked,  there  will  be  much  more  evaporation 
from  the  bodies  of  the  birds,  and  they  will  consequently  be  far 
drier.  A  pinch  of  charcoal  put  into  their  mouths  will  assist  much 
in  keeping  them  sweet. 

If  frozen  hard,  game  will  keep  for  an  indefinite  period,  but  should 
be  eaten  as  soon  as  convenient  after  being  thawed ;  the  best  plan 
to  thaw  it  for  cooking  is  to  hang  it  for  a  short  time  in  the  kitchen. 
No  kind  of  meat  should  be  put  to  cook  before  it  is  thoroughly 
thawed ;  otherwise,  it  will  take  double  the  time  to  cook,  and  at  best 
will  be  tough,  stringy,  and  tasteless. 

The  preservative  effect  of  frost  on  dead  animal  matter  is  very 
remarkable,  and  is  taken  advantage  of  by  the  inhabitants  of  the 
far-northern  countries  on  a  very  extensive  scale,  as  may  be  learned 
from  the  following  extract  from  Accum's  Culinary  Chemistry : — 
"  There  is  annually  held  at  St.  Tetersburg  and  Moscow  what  is 


468  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

called  the  frozen  or  winter  market,  for  the  sale  of  provisions 
solidified  by  frost.  In  a  vast  open  square  the  bodies  of  many 
thousand  animals  are  seen  on  all  sides,  piled  in  pyramidal  and 
quadrangular  masses:  fish,  fowl,  butter,  eggs,  hogs,  sheep,  deer, 
oxen,  all  rendered  solid  by  frost.  The  different  species  of  fish  are 
strikingly  beautiful ;  they  possess  the  lustre  and  brilliancy  of  color 
which  characterize  the  difierent  species  in  a  living  state.  Most  of 
the  larger  kinds  of  quadrupeds  are  skinned  and  classed  according 
to  their  species;  groups  of  many  hundreds  are  piled  upon  their 
hind-legs,  one  against  another,  as  if  each  were  making  an  effort  to 
climb  over  the  back  of  his  neighbor.  The  motionless  yet  apparent 
animation  of  their  seemingly-struggling  attitudes  (as  if  they  had 
died  a  sudden  death)  gives  a  horrid  semblance  of  life  to  this  sin- 
gular scene  of  death.  The  solidity  of  the  frozen  creatures  is  such 
that  the  natives  chop  and  saw  them  up,  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
purchasers,  like  wood." 

COOKING   GAME. 

The  more  plainly  and  simply  game-birds  of  all  kinds  are  cooked, 
the  better,  save  those  of  a  sedgy  or  fishy  nature.  For  these  we  shall 
give  especial  directions  for  disguising  their  disagreeable  flavor. 

No  great  art  of  culinary  chemistry,  in  our  humble  opinion,  can 
improve  a  plain  roasted  partridge,  woodcock,  or  grouse.  Never- 
theless, to  please  the  fancy  or  tickle  the  gustatory  nerves  of  some 
of  our  dainty  guests,  it  may  be  necessary  to  resort  to  some  other 
more  recherche  method  of  serving  them  up. 

To  enumerate  all  the  various  modes  of  presenting  game  on  the 
table,  as  practised  by  those  versed  in  cooking,  either  for  the  ambi- 
tious purpose  of  exhibiting  their  skill  in  this  branch  or  of  whetting 
the  appetite  of  some  sickly  epicure  ever  in  search  of  novelty, 
would  be  at  variance  with  the  design  of  this  chapter.  We  wish 
rather  to  confine  ourselves  alone  to  those  simpler  methods  within 
the  scope  of  every  "  family  cook,"  discarding  all  useless  and  com- 
plicated dishes  —  such,  in  fact,  as  are  within  the  comprehension 
alone  of  a  mattre  de  cuisine,  and  which,  by-the-by,  need  be 
served  up  but  once  in  a  lifetime. 


TO    ROAST    GAME.  469 


TO   ROAST   GAME. 


To  roast  a  partridge,  grouse,  or  any  other  bird  of  the  galli- 
naceous order,  is  as  simple  a  process  of  cookery  as  can  be  attempted. 
The  great  error,  however,  which  cooks  most  frequently  commit  in 
the  operation,  is  that  they  place  the  birds  too  near  the  fire  when 
first  put  down,  and  consequently  cook  them  too  fast,  as  well  as  too 
much  in  some  respects.  The  surface  becomes  scorched  and  burnt 
before  the  flesh  of  the  bird  is  actually  warmed  through ;  the  juices 
are  dissipated,  the  flavor  lost,  and  the  natural  tenderness  of  the 
meat  entirely  destroyed.  To  remedy  this  evil,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  caution  the  cook  to  place  the  spit  at  first  at  a  considerable 
distance  from  the  fire,  so  that  the  body  of  the  bird  will  become 
thoroughly  heated  before  the  browning  of  the  surface  takes  place ; 
then  to  move  it  by  degrees  nearer  the  fire,  so  that  the  heat  can 
penetrate  thoroughly  through  the  entire  mass. 

During  this  process  it  will  be  necessary  to  baste  the  birds 
occasionally  with  their  own  drippings  or  a  small  particle  of  melted 
butter,  with  which  may  be  put  a  trifling  portion  of  salt  and  black 
pepper.  The  drippings  should  be  caught  on  pieces  of  thin  and 
crisp  toast  laid  in  the  bottom  of  the  pan :  the  crust  of  the  bread 
should  be  pared  ofi",  and  one  small  slice  will  answer  for  each  bird. 

When  the  birds  are  nearly  cooked,  they  may  be  lightly  dredged 
with  flour,  powdered  cracker,  or  bread-crumbs,  which,  uniting  with 
the  juices  exuding  from  every  pore,  form  a  beautiful  brown  crust. 
This  process,  before  a  brisk  fire,  should  occupy  about  twenty 
minutes  for  a  partridge,  fifteen  minutes  for  a  snipe,  woodcock,  or 
plover,  and  twenty-five  to  thirty  for  a  grouse ; — a  little  longer,  per- 
haps, for  the  last-mentioned  bird,  as  it  should  be  well  done. 

Serve  them  up  each  on  a  slice  of  toast,  on  hot  dishes  and  well 
covered. 

This  is  the  best  and  most  simple  method  of  cooking  the  greater 
variety  of  game-birds,  and  certainly  within  the  ability  of  any 
"plain  cook,"  no  matter  how  stupid  she  may  be,  or  how  lately 
arrived  from  the  "Emerald  Isle." 


470  lewis's  amebican  sportsman. 

larded  game. 

Game-birds  of  all  kinds,  when  skilfully  trussed,  larded  hand- 
somely, and  roasted  brown,  present  a  very  beautiful  appearance 
on  the  table;  but  we  do  not  relish  them  so  well  as  when- served  up 
perfectly  au  naturel.  However,  as  before  said,  it  is  sometimes  not 
only  expedient  but  agreeable  to  us  to  consult  the  palates  of  our 
friends  as  well  as  to  titillate  their  fancies  by  the  variety  of  our 
Bet-out. 

The  process  of  larding  is  a  very  simple  matter,*  and  may  be 
learned  from  any  cookery-book.  The  practice  of  it,  however,  upon 
small  game  in  particular,  requires  some  judgment  and  a  great  deal 
of  nicety. 

Before  larding  the  birds,  they  may  or  may  not  be  stuffed  with 
a  small  portion  of  grated  pork,  bread-crumbs,  and  butter:  the 
drippings  ought  to  be  received,  as  before,  upon  slices  of  thin  toast. 
Roasted  in  this  way,  birds  are  certainly  more  juicy  than  when 
cooked  perfectly  plain,  but  are  not,  perhaps,  so  delicate  to  the 
palate  of  a  true  epicurean  sportsman,  as  they  have  lost  a  portion 
of  their  natural  gamy  flavor,  owing  to  the  circumstance  that  the 
flesh  and  juices  have  become  impregnated  with  the  fat  used  in  the 
larding,  as  well  as  that  in  the  stufiing. 

Larded  grouse  are  better  than  larded  partridges,  larded  par- 
tridges better  than  larded  snipe,  and  larded  snipe  better  than 
larded  woodcock. 

*  Larding-neecQes  may  be  had  at  the  furnishing  or  hardware  stores. 


BROILED    GAME.  471 


BROILED   GAME. 


Partridges,  when  split  in  the  back  and  broiled  over  bright  wood- 
coals,  with  a  dressing  of  butter,  salt,  and  a  trifle  of  pepper,  are 
very  good ;  and  this,  perhaps,  is  the  most  convenient  and  safe  way 
of  having  them  cooked  when  from  home.  The  cook  should  be 
careful  not  to  burn  or  cook  them  too  fast ;  the  coals  should  not  be 
too  hot,  or  rather  the  gridiron  should  not  be  allowed  to  rest  too 
near  them,  otherwise  the  surface  of  the  body  will  be  scorched  black 
before  the  interior  of  the  flesh  is  warmed  through.  If  the  legs  of 
the  gridiron  are  not  long  enough  to  protect  the  bird  from  the  too 
direct  effects  of  the  hot  coals,  it  is  very  easy  to  remedy  the  evil 
by  putting  pieces  of  brick  under  each  leg. 

TO    SPLIT   AND   BROIL   PARTRIDGES   BEFORE   A   COAL-FIRE. 

We  recommend  the  use  of  the  common  beefsteak-roaster,  which 
sits  erect  before  the  grate :  we  have  partridges  cooked  in  this  way 
very  often,  and  find  them  most  excellent. 

In  all  cases,  game  should  be  served  up  on  hot  dishes. 

BOILED   GAME. 

Some  epicures  are  very  fond  of  larded  and  boiled  partridges,  as 
well  as  grouse.  We  are  not  very  partial  to  either,  although  we 
can  partake  of  both  by  way  of  variety,  particularly  if  they  be  served 
up  with  celery-sauce,  made  without  the  admixture,  however,  of  any 
kind  of  spice. 

Birds  should  be  boiled  in  a  covered  pot  lined  with  china  or  tin, 
with  just  sufficient  water  to  cover  them  nicely.  They  should  be 
removed  from  the  hot  fire  as  soon  as  they  begin  to  boil  briskly, 
and  allowed  to  simmer  at  the  side  till  nearly  done,  and  then  per- 
mitted to  boil  up  briskly  again  for  a  few  moments  before  removing 
entirely.  The  lid  should  be  raised  now  and  then,  and  the  scum, 
as  it  comes  to  the  surface,  skimmed  off:  this  precaution  is  very 
necessary,  as  it  adds  much  to  the  whiteness  and  consequent  beauty 
of  the  birds  when  served  up.     A  few  grains  of  rice  thrown  into 


472  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

the  pot  will  also  assist  in  preserving  the  flesh  white.  The  more 
slowly  birds  are  boiled,  the  better;  in  fact,  the  whole  process 
should  be  confined  within  a  simmer :  the  more  gradual  the  simmer, 
the  more  tender  will  be  the  flesh.  It  requires  a  longer  time  to 
cook  game  in  this  way  than  to  roast  or  broil  it. 

OTHER  WAYS   OF   COOKING   GROUSE   OR   PHEASANTS. 

Some  persons  have  a  fancy  for  cooking  grouse,  or  rather  basting 
them,  with  a  rich  gravy  made  of  butter,  spice,  and  Port  wine.  We 
have  eaten  them  stewed  in  this  kind  of  dressing,  as  well  as  stuffed 
with  a  variety  of  herbs  or  forced-meat  balls. 

These  made  dishes  are  all  very  nice  in  themselves,  and  calculated 
to  please  the  fancy  <of  many ;  but  a  pheasant  stewed  in  Port  wine 
and  spices  is  no  longer  a  pheasant,  and  therefore  does  not  suit  our 
palate ;  for,  when  we  eat  game,  we  like  both  to  know  it  and  taste  it. 

Pheasants  are  very  passable  when  split  in  the  back  and  broiled, 
as  recommended  for  partridges.  There^are  other  modes  for  cook- 
ing grouse,  which,  however,  are  not  worth  referring  to. 


TO  COOK  A  SNIPE,  WOODCOCK,  PLOVER,  ETC. 

As  before  said,  the  more  plainly  game-birds  are  cooked^  the 
letter.  This  observation  applies  particularly  to  the  two  former 
birds,  as  they  each  possess  a  rich  gamy  flavor  which  should  be  pre- 
served unadulterated  by  any  of  the  complicated  arts  of  cookery. 

A  snipe  may  be  larded  and  roasted;  but  a  woodcock  jamais — 
jamais  !  We  regard  a  larded  woodcock  entirely  outre, — a  positive 
abomination.     Yet  there  are  some  excellent  cooks  who  will  persist 


TO   COOK  A   SNIPE,  WOODCOCK,  PLOVER,  ETC.  473 

in  serving  them  in  this  way,  as  well  as  some  would-he  epicures  who 
affect  to  relish  them. 

As  for  the  disgusting  and  filthy  habit  of  cooking  these  birds 
without  taking  out  the  gullet,  gizzard,  and  stomach,  we  cannot 
speak  in  sufficiently  harsh  terms  of  it :  we  consider  such  a  practice 
calculated  rather  to  disgust  even  the  depraved  appetite  of  a  can- 
nibal than  gratify  the  sensitive  palate  of  a  well-fed  epicure.  Those 
who  are  fond  of  half-cooked  leeches,  partly-digested  ground-worms, 
tough  viscera,  and  ugly  insects  of  all  kinds,  can  have  them  brought 
on  the  table  in  this  way.  For  our  part,  we  have  no  great  penchant 
for  such  disgusting  delicacies. 

Audubon,  in  speaking  upon  this  subject,  very  justly  remarks, 
"Many  epicures  eat  both  snipe  and  woodcock  with  all  their  viscera, 
worms  and  insects  to  boot, — the  intestines,  in  fact,  being  considered 
the  most  savory  parts.  On  opening  some  newly-killed  snipes,  I 
have  more  than  once  found  large  and  well-fed  ground-worms,  and 
at  times  a  leech,  which,  I  must  acknowledge,  I  never  conceived 
suitable  articles  of  food  for  man;  and  for  this  reason  I  have 
always  taken  good  care  to  have  both  snipes  and  woodcocks  well 
cleaned,  as  all  game  ought  to  be." 

Snipes  are  sometimes  stuffed  with  herbs  and  baked.  We  con- 
sider such  a  dish  on  a  par  with  partridge-pie. 

Snipes,  as  well  as  partridges,  are  often  roasted  with  a  slice  or 
two  of  fat  pork  wrapped  around  them,  and  then  enclosed  in  sheets 
of  writing-paper  well  greased  with  butter  or  fresh  lard.  The  result 
of  this  process  differs  but  little  from  that  of  larding. 

Both  snipe  and  woodcock  require  less  time  to  cook  than  par- 
tridges,— in  fact,  should  be  rather  underdone  than  overdone.  From 
ten  to  fifteen  minutes  before  a  brisk  fire  is  quite  sufficient.  When 
cut  into,  the  blood  should  be  seen  on  the  edge  of  the  knife,  other- 
wise the  juices  of  the  bird  have  been  dissipated  by  over-cooking. 
This  should  never  be  the  case  either  with  a  partridge  or  grouse. 
The  appearance  of  blood  when  carving  these  two  latter  birds  is  a 
sure  indication  that  they  have  been  taken  from  the  fire  too  soon, 
and  that  the  meat  will  consequently  taste  tough  and  raw. 


474  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

TO    COOK   RAIL   AND   REED-BIRDS. 

Both  these  birds  are  best  plainly  roasted  and  basted  with  a  trifle 
of  butter,  and  served  up  on  toast.  Some  of  our  friends  speak  in 
raptures  of  broiled  rail.  We  cannot  say  that  we  admire  them 
particularly  when  cooked  in  this  way.  Rail  are  a  very  juicy, 
tender  bird,  and  require  no  larding;  when  roasted  on  the  spit, 
enveloped  in  greased  paper,  they  are  very  good.  They  should 
never  be  stuffed;  they  require  about  fifteen  minutes  to  cook  before 
a  brisk  fire.  They  are  better  eaten  fresh,  and  never  improve  by 
keeping ;  in  fact,  they  are  generally  shot  during  the  warm  weather, 
and  when  nothing  short  of  an  ice-house  will  preserve  them  longer 
than  a  few  hours.  They  spoil  very  soon,  particularly  after  being 
wet  and  pitched  about  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat. 

Reed-birds  are  best  when  roasted  au  naturel  on  the  spit  before 
a  brisk  fire.  If  enveloped  in  buttered  paper,  they  cook  more 
nicely,  and  there  is  less  waste  of  the  fat.  Ten  minutes  is  sufficient 
before  a  bright  fire. 

We  have  eaten  reed-birds  stuffed  with  crumbs  of  bread,  butter, 
and  a  slight  shade  of  herbs,  and  roasted  in  greased  paper,  which 
are  very  palatable  for  a  change.  They  are  also  good  when  nicely 
broiled ;  some  persons  prefer  them  in  this  way  to  all  others. 

As  to  stuffing  them  with  chopped  oysters,  or  making  them  into 
dumplings  with  a  thin  crust  of  dough,  and  boiling  them,  we  have 
nothing  to  say ;  and  when  any  of  our  friends  venture  a  word  of 
commendation  in  favor  of  such  abominable  dishes,  audio  sed  taceo. 

COOKING   OTHER   KINDS   OF   GAME. 

There  are  a  great  variety  of  other  kinds  of  game-birds,  known 
ViS  fen,  shore,  or  beach  birds,  which  require  very  nice  management 
to  make  them  agreeable  to  an  epicurean  palate. 

When  these  birds  are  known  to  be  sedgy,  they  should  be  cleaned 
and  rubbed  with  salt  and  corn-meal,  and  put  to  soak  over  night  in 
cool  water  slightly  acidulated  with  strong  vinegar.  They  should 
then  be  stuffed  with  such  herbs  and  spices  as  are  best  calculated  to 


COOKING    OTHER    KINDS    OF    GAME.  475 

destroy,  or  rather  disguise,  their  original  flavor.  If  roasted  and 
basted,  or  rather  stewed,  with  a  rich  dressing  of  butter,  spice,  and 
Port  or  Madeira  wine,  their  flavor  is  much  improved ;  when  served 
up,  they  may  have  a  few  drops  of  lemon-juice  squeezed  over  them, 
to  make  the  sauce  more  piquante.  An  old  sea-gull,  mud-hen,  or 
any  other  tough  fen-bird,  may  be  made  quite  tolerable  by  such  a 
process  of  cookery. 

If,  however,  you  should  at  any  time  be  placed  in  a  strait  for 
something  to  eat,  we  would  advise  Hawker's  receipt  for  a  "  good 
mess,"  which  may  be  made  out  of  any  thing  in  the  way  of  a  fowl, 
whether  a  tough  old  dunghill-cock,  a  cackling  hen,  a  screaming 
gull,  or  a  fishy  dipper,  as  follows : — 

**  Have  a  fowl  skinned  and  quartered ; 
Put  it  over  the  fire  in  a  quart  of  cold  water ; 
Boil  it  full  two  hours. 

Then  add  two  ounces  (or  a  handful)  of  pearl  barley,  (rice  will  answer ;) 
Three  blades  of  mace ;  about  two  dozen  peppercorns ,  and 
Salt  to  your  taste : 
Then  let  all  boil  together  for  one  more  hour." 

An  onion,  or  any  other  kind  of  vegetable  or  strong  herb,  may  be 
added  ad  libitum. 


COOKING   WILD   DUCKS. 

^-.  HE  only  admissible  way  for  cooking  wild 
fowl  of  every  description  is  roasting  on 
the  spit,  with  the  exception,  perhaps,  of 
teal,  which  may  be  broiled  on  the  grid- 


y    iron. 

Those   ducks  that  are  fishy  alone  re- 
quire  any  kind  of  stuffing;    and,  when 
stuffing    is    necessary   to    render    them 
palatable,  we   consider  a  puddle- duck   quite   their  equal,  if   not 
superior. 

Ducks  ought  to  be  roasted  on  the  spit,  and  never  baked  in  an 
oven,  as  is  too  frequently  done  by  careless  and  ignorant  cooks. 
Baking  renders  them  dry,  rank,  and  tasteless,  while  roasting 
makes  them  juicy  and  tender. 

Cooks  are  not  generally  partial  to  the  cooking  of  game,  as  it  is 
oftentimes  attended  with  a  good  deal  of  extra  labor,  (picking  and 
cleaning  the  birds,  &c.,)  and,  if  not  closely  watched,  will  deceive 

their  employers  as  to  the  mode  of  cooking  it.     They  find  it  at 
476 


COOKING    WILD    DUCKS.  477 

times  much  more  convenient  to  put  a  couple  of  ducks  in  an  oven 
to  bake  than  on  the  spit,  owing  to  the  low  state  of  the  fire  or  to  the 
circumstance  that  the  spit  is  used  for  some  other  purpose  far  less 
necessary.     When  this  is  done,  the  fowls  are  sure  to  be  spoiled. 

Ducks  require  but  a  short  time  to  roast,  and,  when  cut  into, 
from  every  pore  should  exude  a  rich  and  high-colored  blood ;  this 
will  not  be  the  case  if  the  fowl  be  cooked  too  much,  or  baked  in 
an  oven.  There  should  always  be  sufficient  of  its  own  drippings 
to  baste  it  with ;  if  not,  however,  a  little  butter  and  a  little  Port 
or  Madeira  will  not  in  such  cases  harm  them. 

It  will  require  about  twenty-five  or  thirty-five  minutes  properly 
to  roast  a  canvas-back.  It  should  be  served  up  with  fresh  crisp 
celery,  potatoes  mashed  and  baked,  or  plainly  roasted. 

Some  persons  like  currant-jelly  with  these  ducks.  We  do  not ; 
nor  do  we  relish  them  so  well  when  half-roasted  and  finished  on 
the  chafing-dish  with  jelly,  &c.  We  much  prefer  them  perfectly 
au  natural.  Canvas-backs  should  neither  be  picked  nor  drawn 
till  a  short  time  before  they  are  to  be  cooked,  nor  should  they  be 
soaked  in  water;  in  fact,  they  should  not  even  so  much  as  be 
washed  out  after  being  cleaned.  Other  kinds  of  wild  duck,  less 
delicate,  may  be  picked  and  soaked  in  water  two  or  three  hours 
before  cooking,  without  injury, — rather  with  benefit. 

A  small  onion,  or  a  few  small  slices  of  pared  lemon,  put  in  the 
inside  of  a  strong  fowl  of  any  kind,  will  in  a  measure  correct  its 
disagreeable  flavor  and  render  the  flesh  more  mild  to  the  taste. 

The  following  receipt,  taken  from  Hawker,  will  be  found  an 
excellent  sauce  for  all  kinds  of  duck  that  require  an  artificial  or 
made  dressing: — 

Port  wine  or  claret 1  glass  ; 

Sauce  k  la  Russe*  (the  older  the  better) 1  tablespoonful; 

Catsup  (walnut  or  mushroom) 1  " 

Lemon-juice 1  " 

Lemon-peel 1  slice; 


*  See  Francatelli's  French  Cookery,  Receipt  No.  35.     If  these  herbs  are  not  at 
hand,  substitute  others. 


478  lewis's   amekican   sportsman. 

Shallot  (large) 1  cut  in  slices  ; 

Cayenne  pepper 4  grains  ; 

Mace 1  or  2  blades. 

To  be  scalded,  strained,  or  added  to  the  mere  gravy  which 
comes  from  the  bird  in  roasting. 

FURTHER   REMARKS   ON   THE   SUBJECT   OF   COOKERY. 

Small  game  are  generally  cooked  without  cutting  off  the  head 
or  feet.  Some  persons  are  very  partial  to  the  brains.  Indepen- 
dently of  this,  the  birds  look  far  better  with  their  heads  on,  and  they 
should  never  be  removed  by  the  cook. 

Birds  are  far  more  tender  if  eaten  immediately  after  being 
killed  than  if  kept  over  night  and  then  eaten ;  if  kept,  however, 
until  the  following  or  third  day,  they  will  most  generally  be  as 
good  again. 

Ducks,  if  to  be  eaten  soon  after  being  killed,  may  be  improved 
by  burying  them  in  the  ground  for  a  few  hours. 

As  a  general  rule,  thinly-sliced  fried  potatoes  is  the  best  accom- 
paniment to  game.  They  should  be  done  brown  and  crisp  ;  pota- 
toes done  d  la  maitre  d'hdtel  will  answer  in  place  of  celery-sauce 
for  boiled  game. 

CELERY-SAUCE. 

As  we  have  recommended  the  use  of  celery-sauce  with  boiled 
game,  it  may  not  be  amiss  for  us,  before  going  further,  to  give 
directions  for  the  preparation  of  it. 

This  sauce  is  the  most  palatable  of  sauces,  and  the  only  one  we 
consider  admissible  as  a  dressing  for  boiled  game;  some  even  go 
so  far  as  to  recommend  it  for  roasted  birds ;  but  we  must  confess 
that  we  have  no  fancy  or  relish  for  it  in  this  way. 

Like  all  other  nice  sauces,  celery-sauce  requires  some  tact  to 
make  it.  The  celery  should  be  selected  with  care,  washed  nicely, 
but  not  allowed  to  remain  in  water  any  time,  for  soaking  it  in  this 
way,  as  is  too  often  done,  renders  it  tough,  and  destroys  all  that 
brittleness  which  makes  the  plant  so  relishable;  it  should  then  be 


CELERY-SAUCE.  479 

pared, — not  scraped  or  bruised,  after  the  fashion  of  some  ignorant 
cooks;  then  cut  it  into  small  pieces  and  boil  in  a  small  portion 
of  water  slowly,  till  quite  tender;  pour  off  the  water  through  a 
colander,  and  boil  it,  or  rather  simmer  it,  agaii^  for  a  few  minutes, 
with  sufficient  cream  and  a  small  particle  of  butter  rolled  in  flour, 
and  a  pinch  of  salt  and  pepper. 

The  bowl  in  which  it  is  served  should  be  warm;  the  sauce  is  to 
be  poured  on  a  slice  of  toast  at  the  bottom.  Raspings  or  crumbs 
of  a  French  roll  are  also  used  in  the  same  way,  and  answer  an 
excellent  purpose. 

The  cook  should  be  very  careful  not  to  scorch  the  cream  by 
putting  it  over  a  hot  fire ;  it  must  be  stirred  gently  while  boiling. 
This  sauce,  as  before  said,  requires  to  be  made  with  some  tact,  and 
we  cannot  be  too  particular  in  our  directions  to  the  cook ;  for,  if 
not  made  exactly  right,  it  is  neither  palatable  nor  admissible  for 
game.  If  burnt,  which  is  the  common  error  committed  by  stupid 
cooks  in  making  it,  it  should  be  consigned  forthwith  to  the  swill- 
tub,  as  six  drops  of  such  detestable  stuff  would  spoil  the  flavor  of 
a  partridge  or  grouse. 

If  fond  of  spices,  put  in  a  little  mace  and  a  clove  or  two ;  we  do 
not,  however,  recommend  it.  A  shallot  or  so,  a  bay-leaf,  lemon- 
juice,  orange-peel,  or  a  little  parsley,  might  also  be  advocated  by 
some  of  our  friends. 

THICKENING   FOR   SAUCES   OR   GRAVIES. 

The  foundation  of  all  sauces  and  gravies  is  the  white  and  brown 
thickenings  of  the  French  cookery-books-  These  thickenings  are 
indispensable  to  a  well-organized  kitchen,  and  no  dinner  can  be 
served  up  properly  without  their  aid.  They  should  always  be  in 
the  larder  for  use,  and  are  made  as  follows : — 

WHITE   THICKENING. 

Take  a  small  lump  of  butter,  the  size  of  course  in  proportion  to 
the  use  you  have  for  the  thickening ;  melt  it  over  a  slow  fire  in  a 
tinned  or  glazed  stewpan ;  then  drain  off  the  buttermilk,  and  mix 


480  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

sufficient  flour  with  the  butter  to  make  a  thin  paste,  which  keep  on 
the  fire  for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  being  very  careful  that  it  is  not 
scorched  or  colored ;  then  set  aside  in  an  earthen  jar  for  use. 

BROWN   THICKENING. 

Take,  as  before,  a  small  lump  of  butter,  melt  it  slowly,  get  rid 
of  the  buttermilk,  and  make  the  residue  into  a  thin  paste  with 
flour ;  then  heat  it  gently  over  a  mild  fire  until  the  whole  mass 
becomes  of  a  light  brown  color,  when  it  is  to  be  removed  and  put 
away  for  future  use. 

Both  of  these  thickenings  are  useful  in  serving  up  game ;  the 
latter,  especially,  is  suitable  for  mixing  with  the  drippings  with 
which  roasted  game  is  basted.  These  thickenings  are  the  basis  of 
many  other  sauces,  which  the  skilful  cook,  with  a  little  instruction, 
will  soon  learn  to  make  subservient  to  her  art. 

POTATOES  A  LA  MAITRE  d'h6tEL. 

Steam  or  boil  small,  firm  potatoes  in  the  usual  manner;  then 
cut  them  into  thin  slices,  and  place  them  in  a  stewpan,  pouring 
over  them  a  small  cup  of  cream  in  which  has  been  melted  a  small 
piece  of  butter,  seasoned  with  a  little  salt,  pepper,  chopped  parsley, 
and  lemon-juice ;  toss  them  over  the  fire  for  a  moment,  and  dish 
them  up  piping  hot. 


VENISON-SOUP.  481 


VENISON-SOUP. 

The  following  receipt  for  making  this  most  delicious  of  all  soups 
"we  concocted  a  short  time  since,  and  we  trust  our  friends  will  find 
it  as  palatable  as  we  do.  We  are  indebted  to  Frank  Forester  for 
our  first  ideas  on  this  subject. 

Take- 
Venison,  cut  into  small  pieces,  and  the  fat  all 

taken  off. 6  pounds; 

Water 2  gallons; 

Cloves 2  dozen; 

Mace 4  blades; 

Boil  slowly  2  hours. 

Then  add— 

Venison,  cut  into  small  pieces  an  inch  or  so 

square 2  pounds; 

Forced-meat  balls 1  dozen; 

Then  boil  30  minutes. 

Now  add — 

Cayenne  pepper 1  small  pinch; 

Blackpepper 1  " 

Salt 2 

Lemon  or  lime-juice half  wineglass. 

The  soup-bowls — for  it  should  be  served  in  bowls — to  be  set 
before  the  fire,  each  containing  say  half  a  pint  of  dry  Port  wine, 
and  a  thin  slice  or  two  of  bread,  toasted,  if  you  choose,  floating  in 
it:  the  soup  to  be  poured  over  the  whole,  each  bowl  covered  up 
and  served  hot  when  seated  at  the  table.  This  soup  is  equally 
good  the  second  day. 

Particular  care  should  be  had  that  the  venison  be  quite  fresh, 
and  not  in  the  least  tainted,  otherwise  the  soup  will  have  a  harsh 
flavor  as  well  as  disagreeable  odor. 

sportsmen's  beef. 

Take— 

A  large  round  of  beef; 

Saltpetre 3^^  ounces: 

Allspice 1  ounce; 

Cayenne 1  pinch  ; 

Rub  in,  and  let  stand  24  hours. 

31 


482  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

Then  rub  in  thoroughly — 

gg^l^ several  hanifuls. 

Put  it  by  for  ten  days,  turning  it  and  rubbing  in  the  salt  every  day  or  two. 
Then  put  into  a  pan  with — 

Beef-suet 4  pounds  ; 

Dredge  it  slightly  with  flour,  and  bake  slowly  for  4  or  5  hours. 

We  liave  tried  it ;  and  we  are  satisfied  that,  with  a  little  attention, 
it  will  keep  during  the  whole  of  the  cold  weather.  We  also  think 
that  we  can  answer  for  its  pleasing  the  most  fastidious  palate,  and 
recommend  it  to  our  friends  as  an  excellent  and  most  convenient 
article  of  relish  to  have  prepared  for  general  use  or  in  anticipation 
of  a  prolonged  sporting-excursion.  If  the  round  is  not  very  large, 
decrease  the  proportions  somewhat,  and  take  less  time  to  prepare 
it.  We  met  with  this  receipt  in  a  very  quaint  and  original  book 
from  the  pen  of  General  George  Hanger,  of  the  British  army ;  we 
have  altered  it  in  some  particulars,  and,  we  think,  for  the  better. 

FOR  COOKING  HARES   OR   RABBITS. 

Cut  the  hares  into  pieces. 

The  stewpan  ought  to  be  flat,  so  that  every  piece  may  touch  the 
bottom. 

First,  heat  the  pan ;  then  put  into  it  about  half  a  spoonful  of 
lard ;  then  place  the  pieces  of  hare  into  it  so  that  every  piece 
touches  the  pan :  do  not  cover  it.  As  soon  as  the  hare  begins  to 
brown,  turn  the  pieces  and  sprinkle  over  them  two  handfuls  of 
flour,  with  two  or  three  whole  and  very  small  onions.  This  must 
remain  about  five  minutes  over  a  moderate  fire.  Then  pour  over 
it  about  a  pint  of  boiling  water ;  add  salt,  pepper,  two  or  three 
cloves,  two  or  three  allspice,  and  a  very  small  portion  of  crushed 
garlic,  (say  about  the  size  of  a  pea,)  two  laurel-leaves,  (such  as  come 
in  prune-boxes,)  a  small  bunch  of  parsley,  not  cut  apart,  so  that  it 
may  be  taken  out  when  the  dish  is  served  up.  Let  the  whole  boil, 
or  rather  simmer  slowly,  about  one  to  one  and  a  half  hours.  Then 
pour  over  the  whole  from  one-half  to  one  bottle  of  good  claret 
wine,  and  continue  to  boil  over  a  very,  moderate  fire  for  two  hours 
longer,  when  it  will  be  ready  to  serve. 


COOKING    HARES    OR    RABBITS. 


483 


Particular  care  is  required  not  to  have  too  much  fire. 

These  proportions  are  for  a  dish  of  two  hares.  We  are  indebted 
to  a  friend  for  the  above  receipt,  and  we  owe  him  many  thanks  for 
the  opportunity  he  has  thus  afforded  us  of  furnishing  so  desirable 
a  dish  for  our  gastronomic  readers. 

Squirrels  may  be  served  up  in  the  same  style,  and  will  be  found 
equally  good. 

"Nee  sibi  ccenarum  quivis  temer^  arroget  artem, 
Non  priiis  exacta  tenui  ratione  saporum." 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

SOME  HINTS   ON   TAXIDERMY.      THE  ART   OF   OBTAINING  AND 
PRESERVING  THE   SKINS   OF   BIRDS. 

^^  T  is  often  very  important  that  the  sports- 
^^^k  man  should  know  something  in  reference 
W*-^  to  the  art  of  preserving  and  setting  up 
the  game  he  loves  so  much  to  pur- 
sue; for  he  may  at  any  time,  when  a 
long  distance  from  home  and  far  away 
from  help,  come  across  some  curious 
specimen,  a  vara  avis, —  a  white  par- 
tridge, a  pied  woodcock,  or  a  mottled 
snipe,  for  example, — the  preservation  of 
which,  for  a  place  in  his  cabinet,  would  be  a  source  of  great 
satisfaction  as  well  as  pride.  All  this  can  be  accomplished  with- 
out any  difficulty,  provided  the  sportsman  makes  himself  familiar 
with  the  very  simple  modus  operandi  of  skinning  a  bird  and 
the  best  plan  of  preserving  the  skin  sweet  till  it  is  placed  in 
the  hands  of  an  artist  more  competent  to  finish  the  under- 
taking. 

The  principal  and  most  important  object  to  be  attained  in  the 

preservation  of  a  specimen,  after  we  have  shot  it,  is  the  protection 
484 


TAXIDERMY.  485 

of  its  plumage.  This  is  done  by  pursuing  the  following  course : — 
If  the  bird  is  not  shot  entirely  dead,  the  best  and  easiest  plan  to 
relieve  it  from  its  sufferings,  as  well  as  prevent  any  further  dis- 
placement of  its  plumage  by  its  painful  struggles  to  escape  from 
our  hands,  is  to  squeeze  it  across  the  breast,  or  under  the  wings, 
with  the  forefinger  and  thumb,  but  not  with  sufficient  force  to 
break  the  bones. 

A  small  particle  of  cotton  or  fine  tow  should  then  be  placed  in 
the  bill,  to  absorb  any  exudation  that  might  run  from  the  mouth 
and  come  in  contact  with  the  feathers.  If  the  wounds  show 
any  disposition  to  bleed,  they  should  also  be  lightly  covered  with 
the  same  material,  to  protect  the  plumage,  as  it  is  often  very  diffi- 
cult, and  at  all  times  requires  very  nice  handling,  to  cleanse  the 
feathers  from  coagulated  blood. 

This  done,  the  bird  should  be  lightly  grasped  in  the  one  hand 
by  the  head,  while  the  other  is  used  in  dexterously  smoothing  down 
the  ruffled  plumage ;  it  should  then  be  carefully  wrapped  up  in  a 
handkerchief  or  fine  paper,  and  consigned  to  one  of  our  spare 
pockets  till  the  close  of  the  day's  sport.  The  following  day  or 
evening  will  be  quite  time  enough  to  commence  the  operation  of 
skinning,  as  the  blood  will  not  be  completely  coagulated  till  the 
lapse  of  several  hours  after  death. 

The  process  of  skinning  birds  will  at  first  seem  very  difficult 
and  awkward  to  the  novice ;  but  we  can  assure  him  that  a  little 
patience  and  perseverance  will  soon  overcome  all  the  imaginary 
perplexities  with  which  he  surrounds  the  matter;  and,  before  he 
has  finished  his  sixth  specimen,  he  will  be  surprised  to  find  how 
easy  a  thing  it  is  to  skin  a  bird, — even  far  less  troublesome  than  to 
pull  a  rabbit  out  of  his  furry  hide. 

"In  order  to  skin  birds,  we  must  pass  a  needleful  of  thread 
across  the  nostrils,  tie  it  underneath  the  inferior  mandible,  (leaving 
the  thread  the  length  of  the  bird,)  to  prevent  the  blood  from 
coming  out  of  the  beak  during  the  operation. 

"We  have  before  said  that  when  a  bird  is  killed  we  must  in- 
troduce a  little  cotton  into  its  beak ;  we  repeat  this  injunction,  be- 


lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

cause  the  beauty  of  a  mounted  bird  depends  on  the  freshness  of 
its  head ;  it  is  easy  to  repair  and  clean  the  soiled  feathers  of  the 
belly  and  back,  but  not  those  of  the  head  without  a  great  expense 
of  time. 

"  These  precautions  taken,  we  stretch  the  bird  on  the  table,  the 
head  turned  towards  the  left  of  the  operator;  we  divide  the 
feathers  of  the  belly  right  and  left  with  small  forceps,  pull  out  the 
down  which  covers  the  belly,  make  an  incision  in  the  skin  from 
the  commencement  of  the  sternum  or  breast-bone,  until  beyond 
the  middle  of  the  belly ;  raise  the  skin  on  one  side  by  the  forceps, 
and  separate  it  from  the  muscles  with  a  scalpel,  approaching  as 
near  as  possible  to  the  wings ;  this  done,  we  put  a  little  floured  or 
powdered  cotton  on  the  skin  and  flesh,  that  the  feathers  may  not 
stick  to  them ;  we  force  up  or  push  out  the  thighs  within  the  body 
of  the  skin,  cut  them  between  the  femur  and  tibia  in  such  a  man- 
ner that  the  former  remains  to  be  afterwards  pushed  back  into  the 
skin.  By  the  help  of  the  scalpel  and  the  fingers  we  detach  the 
skin  as  far  as  the  rump,  which  we  cut  ofi".  It  is  essential  for  this 
part  to  remain  attached  to  the  skin  to  sustain  the  tail-feathers. 
We  then  take  the  already  uncovered  part  of  the  body  with  the 
left  hand,  and  continue  to  separate  the  skin  from  the  two  sides, 
cutting  some  little  tendons,  which  we  find  before  we  come  to  the 
wings,  with  the  scissors ;  we  separate  the  wings  from  the  trunk  at 
the  junction  of  the  humerus  with  the  body,  and  restore  them  to 
their  proper  place.  We  continue  to  skin  the  neck,  thrusting  the 
head  from  within,  and  we  uncover  it,  taking  care  not  to  enlarge 
the  opening  of  the  ears,  and,  above  all,  to  be  particularly  attentive 
not  to  injure  the  eyelids  in  taking  out  the  eyes,  which  are  easily 
picked  out  with  closed  points  of  the  scissors ;  we  replace  the  eye 
with  chopped  cotton,  with  which  we  fill  the  orbits. 

"We  separate  the  neck,  take  out  the  tongue,  and  carefully  re- 
move all  the  flesh  which  is  between  the  two  branches  of  the  inferior 
mandible.  We  enlarge  the  occipital  hole,  to  extract  the  brain,  by 
means  of  an  iron  instrument  resembling  an  ear-picker ;  and,  to 
finish  cleaning  out  the  inside  of  the  head,  we  pass  cotton  and  flax 


TAXIDERMY.  487 

mto  it  several  times.  We  must,  during  the  operation,  besprinkle 
the  humid  parts  with  plaster  of  paris,  or  dry  earth,  from  time  to 
time,  to  prevent  the  feathers  from  adhering  to  them  and  becoming 
dirty,  and  also  divide  the  feathers  to  the  right  and  left,  for  the 
same  reason. 

"We  then  take  out  the  wings,  cut  them  off  at  the  second  joint, 
and,  taking  away  the  flesh,  restore  them  to  their  place.  This 
operation  answers  for  small  birds ;  and  we  anoint  the  wings  in  the 
parts  which  are  destitute  of  feathers.  We  take  away  the  flesh  of 
the  thighs,  always  preserving  the  bones  of  the  leg,  and  put  them 
back  in  their  places. 

"  If  the  bird  be  of  a  larger  size,  we  must  carefully  take  away 
all  the  muscles  which  adhere  to  the  skin,  as  well  as  the  fat ;  and, 
if  it  has  been  killed  by  a  gun,  or  holes  are  otherwise  formed  in  the 
skin,  they  must  be  properly  sewed  up  within. 

"We  fix  a  piece  of  thread  to  the  first  joint  of  each  wing,  draw- 
ing them  together  to  the  distance  which  they  occupy  when  the  bird 
is  in  the  flesh.  This  precaution,  which  does  not  appear  to  be  of 
great  importance,  infinitely  abridges  the  operation ;  for,  when  the 
bird  is  mounted,  the  wings  place  themselves,  provided  they  are 
properly  tied  within." — Mrs.  Lees  '^ Taxidermy. '' 

The  skins  of  some  birds  are  far  less  elastic,  after  being  dried, 
than  others,  and  therefore  require  particular  care  in  their  stuffing. 
Those  of  the  gallinaceous  order,  or  game-birds  generally,  are  very 
contractile  and  non-elastic,  and  consequently  require  full  stuffing 
when  green,  to  preserve  them  in  their  natural  proportions,  as  it 
will  be  found  very  difficult  to  stretch  them  after  being  dried,  even 
if  submitted  to  the  relaxing  efiects  of  steam,  which  softens  their 
entire  structure  more  than  any  thing  else. 

The  skins  should  never  be  hung  up  to  dry,  as  the  weight  of 
their  bodies,  if  suspended  by  the  head,  will  stretch  their  necks  to 
an  unseemly  length;  a  somewhat  similar  result  will  be  effected 
if  they  should  be  hung  by  the  legs.  The  stuff'ed  skins  should  be 
laid  out  on  a  plain  surface,  with  their  heads  and  legs  gently  ex- 
tended in  a  line  with  their  bodies. 


488  lewis's    AMERICAN     SPORTSMAN. 

We  saw  a  few  days  since  a  large  box  of  pinnated-grouse  skins 
nearly  ruined  in  consequence  of  having  been  ignorantly  suspended 
by  the  neck  to  dry. 

To  preserve  the  skins  from  the  attacks  of  insects,  more  espe- 
cially in  warm  weather,  it  will  be  necessary  to  powder  thoroughly 
every  portion  of  their  inner  surfaces  with  pure  arsenic,  or  anoint 
with  some  of  the  arsenical  soaps  or  other  standard  compositions. 
We  prefer  the  free  use  of  the  arsenic  itself:  a  weak  solution  of 
corrosive  sublimate  is  the  most  convenient,  if  not  the  very  best,  of 
the  liquid  preparations.  A  teaspoonful  of  this  poison  to  a  quart 
of  alcohol  is  about  the  proper  proportion.  The  whole  skin  can  be 
immersed  in  this  solution  without  detriment,  if  it  be  deemed  ex- 
pedient. 

With  these  few  observations  on  this  head,  we  will  pass  on  to 
another  kindred  subject,  which  we  also  purpose  to  treat  in  the  same 
summary  manner ;  our  object  being  merely  to  call  the  attention  of 
the  intelligent  sportsman  to  these  matters,  with  the  hope  of  creating 
an  interest  in  those  animals  which  he  pursues,  beyond  the  mere 
shooting  of  them,  —  an  interest  that  will  most  likely  ultimately 
result  in  benefits  to  the  cause  of  science.  If  this  end  is  accom- 
plished, our  object  is  secured. 

It  could  not  be  expected  of  us  to  enter  largely  into  the  subject 
of  taxidermy,  for  it  would  require  a  volume  of  itself ;  and,  moreover, 
there  has  been  so  much  already  written  by  those  far  more  ex- 
perienced than  we  could  ever  hope  to  be,  that  it  would  be  absurd 
in  us  to  collate  such  matters  for  our  present  book ;  we  prefer  call- 
ing the  attention  of  our  readers  to  the  works  of  Mrs.  Lee  and 
Captain  Brown,  either  of  which  contains  all  the  information  that 
one  could  desire  upon  the  art  of  collecting,  preparing,  and  mount- 
ing objects  of  natural  history. 

Both  of  these  manuals  have  gone  through  a  large  number  of 
editions,  and  contain  a  vast  amount  of  information  in  a  small 
compass. 


PRESERVING     EGG-SHELLS.  489 


PRESERVING   EGG-SHELLS. 

To  make  his  cabinet  more  complete,  a  sportsman  may  have  a 
desire  to  preserve  the  nests  and  forms  of  the  eggs  of  such  game- 
birds  as  he  may  meet  with  in  his  rambles  over  the  country.  The 
only  effectual  method  of  doing  this  is  "to  blow  the  eggs,"  as  the 
shells  are  so  very  porous  that  no  plan,  however  skilfully  devised, 
will  prevent  the  putrefaction,  sooner  or  later,  of  their  contents,  if 
we  attempt  to  preserve  them  whole.  Baking,  boiling,  slow  drying, 
immersion  in  spirits,  varnishing,  &c.  have  all  been  tried  without 
effect.  To  rightly  "blow  an  egg-shell"  is  a  process  familiar  to 
every  truant-playing  young  urchin,  and  it  would  therefore  seem 
unnecessary  for  us  to  enter  into  any  detail  upon  so  trite  a  subject ; 
however,  we  may  not  go  far  amiss  in  instructing  some  one  of  our 
quiet  readers  who,  perchance,  never  played  truant  or  robbed  a 
bird's  nest  in  his  youthful  days. 

The  plan  to  be  pursued  is  to  make  a  hole  in  proportion  to  the 
size  of  the  egg  in  the  point  and  another  in  the  butt ;  shake  the 
egg  well,  or  stir  up  the  contents  with  a  small  wire  or  darning- 
needle,  so  as  to  break  up  the  yolk ;  then  apply  the  butt-end  to  the 
mouth  and  blow  the  contents  out  at  the  point.  This  done  to  your 
satisfaction,  immerse  the  point  in  a  cup  of  water  and  suck  up  a 
small  portion  into  the  shell;  shake  it  well  and  blow  it  out;  repeat 
this  operation  till  the  egg  is  entirely  free  from  all  the  white  or 
yolk  that  may  adhere  to  its  inside. 

Eggs  may  also  be  blown  by  means  of  a  small  pipe  constructed 
as  exhibited  in  the  following  diagram. 

These  pipes,  made  of  glass,  can  be  had  of  the  apothecaries. 
If  made  to  order,  however,  either  of  silver  or  other  suitable 
metal,  they  will  answer  a  better  purpose  and  last  a  lifetime :  the 
glass  ones  are  apt  to  get  broken,  and  at  all  times  require  nice 
handling,  as  the  points  are  necessarily  so  delicate  and  fine  that 
the  slightest  knock  will  fracture  them.  With  the  use  of  this  pipe 
it  is  only  necessary  to  make  one  hole  in  the  side,  shake  the  egg 
for  a  moment  or  so,  to  break  up  the  yolk,  then  insert  the  point  (e) 


490  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

of  ,the  pipe,  and  suck  the  contents,  by  the  application  of  the  lips 
to  the  point  (a),  np  into  the  bulb  {b) ;  then  withdraw  it,  and  blow 
the  contents  out  by  the  same  passage  by  which  it  was  introduced ; 
repeat  this  as  often  as  necessary,  according  to  the  size  of  the  egg ; 
then  suck  up  some  water  into  the  pipe  and  blow  it  into  the  egg; 
shake  it  up  well  as  before,  and  draw  off  with  the  pipe,  thus  leaving 
the  shell  perfectly  clean. 


To  preserve  more  effectually  from  corruption  the  semi-mem- 
branous lining  that  covers  the  whole  internal  surface  of  the  egg, 
the  putrefaction  of  which  would  more  or  less  affect  the  integrity 
of  the  shell,  it  is  recommended  to  introduce  into  the  egg,  by  means 
of  the  pipe,  a  small  quantity  of  a  strong  solution  of  corrosive 
sublimate  in  spirits,  which,  being  shaken  up  for  a  moment  or  so, 
may  be  drawn  out  as  before.  Care  should  be  taken  neither  to 
draw  too  hard  nor  too  suddenly  upon  the  solution,  as  we  may  thus 
get  a  small  portion  of  it  in  our  mouth,  which,  by-the-by,  will  not 
prove  so  agreeable  as  a  sip  of  golden  sherry.  A  very  little  prac- 
tice, however,  in  the  use  of  the  pipe,  will  make  the  operator  quite 
skilful. 

A  handsome,  semi-transparent  appearance  may  be  given  to  the 
egg  by  putting  on,  with  a  camels'-hair  brush,  a  light  coating  of 
mastic  or  copal  varnish.  Colored  eggs  should  be  brushed  over  with 
a  solution  of  gum  arable,  as  the  varnish  may  impair  the  color. 

TO   PRESERVE  WINGED   BIRDS   FROM   FATAL   HEMORRHAGE. 

If  we  should  wing  a  bird,  and  wish  to  preserve  its  life,  it  will  be 
proper  to  examine  it  carefully,  more  particularly  if  it  be  a  small 
bird,  to  see  if  the  hemorrhage  is  likely  to  prove  fatal.  If  such  be 
the  case,  it  will  be  necessary  immediately  to   secure  the  blood- 


TO    PRESERVE   WINGED    BIRDS   FROM   HEMORRHAGE.  491 

vessels  by  a  ligature,  which  can  be  very  easily  accomplished  by 
examining  the  following  drawing  and  adopting  the  means  to  be 
described. 


If  the  wound  be  high  up,  at  the  point  e,  pass  a  needle,  armed 
with  a  piece  of  waxed  silk  or  thread,  slightly  under  the  skin,  but 
near  to  the  bone  just  above  the  wound,  and,  drawing  the  two  ends 
together  around  the  bone,  tie  them.  The  pressure  thus  exerted 
by  the  ligature  on  the  humerus  will  be  quite  sufficient  to  prevent 
the  passage  of  blood  along  the  vessels  that  lie  in  close  contiguity 
with  the  bone.  This  done  to  our  satisfaction,  the  bird  may  be  set 
at  liberty,  and  the  ligature  carefully  removed  in  the  course  of  a 
day  or  two. 

If  the  wound  be  below  the  second  joint,  as  at  d,  pass  the  needle, 
armed  as  before,  between  the  two  bones  and  close  up  to  d^  and  tie 
the  large  bone  <?,  which  will  thus  include  the  bleeding  vessels. 

If  at  a,  below  the  third  joint,  pass  the  needle,  as  in  the  prece- 
ding case,  between  the  bones,  as  near  as  possible  to  the  small  bone 
h  ;  then  pass  it  again  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bone  a  ;  now  bring 
the  ends  together  and  tie  them ;  this  being  done,  the  artery  will  be 
included  in  the  ligature. 

TO   PINION   OR  AMPUTATE  A  WING. 
If  we  should  wish  to  pinion  or  amputate  any  portion  of  the 
wing,  either  on  account  of  a  fracture  or  to  prevent  the  bird  from 
escaping,  it  will  be  necessary  first  to  put  on  a  ligature  just  above 


492  lewis's  amekican   sportsman. 

the  portion  of  wing  to  be  taken  oiF.  This  must  be  done  according 
to  the  directions  laid  down  above.  The  flesh  is  then  to  be  cut 
down  to  the  bone  with  a  sharp  knife,  and  the  bone  sawed  through 
with  a  very  fine  saw,  at  a  point  just  above  the  fracture.  If  a  saw 
is  not  at  hand,  a  pair  of  sharp  shears  may  be  used  for  cutting  the 
bone. 

Nipping  the  bones  with  shears,  however,  is  very  apt  to  fracture 
them  and  leave  a  ragged  and  uneven  edge  protruding  from  the 
wound,  which  will  prove  very  painful  to  the  bird  and  retard  its 
recovery ;  the  use  of  the  small  saw  is  far  better.  These  opera- 
tions, although  very  simple  in  themselves  and  such  as  any  school- 
boy can  practise,  still  require  some  little  skill  and  artistical  cunning 
to  perform  properly. 


'<?uinn.  prop 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

GENERAL   HYGIENIC  REMARKS. 

<  The  first  physicians  by  debauch  were  made ; 
Excess  began,  and  sloth  sustains,  the  trade. 
By  chase  our  long-lived  fathers  earned  their  food ; 
Toil  strung  the  nerves  and  purified  the  blood ; 
But  we,  their  sons,  a  pampered  race  of  men, 
Are  dwindled  down  to  threescore  years  and  ten. 
Better  to  hunt  in  fields  for  health  unbought. 
Than  fee  the  doctor  for  a  nauseous  draught. 
The  wise  for  cure  on  exercise  depend : 
God  never  made  his  work  for  man  to  mend." 


ccr. 


ATMOSPHERIC   VICISSITUDES. 

PORTSMEN  should  guard  as  far  as  pos- 
sible against  the  ill  effects  arising  from 
exposure  to  the  various  atmospheric  vicissi- 
tudes inseparable  from  their  pursuits. 

The  clothing  should  be  adapted  to  the 
season  in  which  they  hunt  and  the  par- 
ticular sport  in  which  they  are  engaged; 
if  the  weather  be  warm,  a  heavy  coat  is  a 
great  encumbrance,  and  occasions  much  unnecessary  fatigue;  on 

the  contrary,  if  the  weather  be  cold  and  boisterous,  a  light  coat 

493 


494  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

would  be  equally  inappropriate,  and  expose  the  wearer  to  a 
catarrhal  affection,  or  perhaps  an  attack  of  rheumatism. 

We  cannot  be  too  particular  in  this  respect,  although  many  old 
veterans  may  laugh  at  our  remarks,  as  tending  perhaps  to  effemi- 
nacy, and  say  that  such  precautions  are  suitable  only  for  "  dandy 
sportsmen,"  but  quite  beneath  the  notice  of  those  accustomed  to 
braving  all  kinds  of  atmosperic  changes  while  in  pursuit  of  game 
either  by  land  or  water,  and  perfectly  regardless  of  heat  or  cold, 
wind  or  rain.  To  these  we  reply,  in  a  hackneyed  but  nevertheless 
appropriate  phrase,  Ghacun  d  son  goilt;  at  the  same  time  we 
do  not  deny  that  there  may  be  some  who  can  brave  all  these 
extraordinary  exposures,  without  apparently  suffering  any  par- 
ticular inconvenience  at  the  time ;  but  we  may  recollect,  also,  that 
many  have  passed  through  the  impending  dangers  of  a  long  and 
arduous  campaign,  and  come  out  from  its  perils  unscathed,  perhaps 
to  die  from  the  prick  of  a  needle  or  the  scratch  of  a  rusty  nail. 
Thus  it  may  be  with  some  of  those  who  ridicule  such  precautions 
as  every  sensible  man  should  take  to  ward  off  the  bad  effects  of 
imprudent  exposure  to  the  changeable  and  trying  climate  of  our 
Northern  and  Eastern  States. 

"An  ounce  of  precaution,  at  all  events,  is  worth  a  pound  of 

cure;"  and  no  sportsman  will  do  himself  any  harm  by  attention  to 

the  few  hygienic  rules  that  we  are  about  proposing  for  his  future 

comfort.     He  will  rather  derive  much  benefit  from  them,  and  be 

able  at  an  advanced  age  to  exclaim, — 

"Temperance,  joy,  and  repose, 
Slam  the  door  upon  the  doctor's  nose." 

If  wet  after  returning  home,  the  clothing  should  by  all  means 
be  changed  as  speedily  as  possible,  and,  if  necessary,  a  little  warm 
spirits  may  be  taken.  A  cup  of  hot  tea  or  coffee  will  often  answer 
every  good  purpose,  especially  with  those  unaccustomed  to  the 
stimulus  of  strong  drink.  Nothing  is  more  apt  to  produce  a 
catarrhal  or  rheumatic  affection  than  the  pernicious  habit  of  re- 
maining in  wet  clothes  after  coming  from  the  field,  particularly 
the  careless  and  common  practice  of  keeping  on  wet  stockings. 


STATE    OF    THE    ATMOSPHERE.  495 

Off  with  them  at  once,  or  your  joints  will  ache  long  before  you 
have  seen  twoscore  and  ten,  and  the  sports  of  the  field  will  no 
longer  hold  out  any  charms  for  your  rheumatic  limbs.  Do  not  sit 
nodding  and  toasting  your  wet  feet  before  the  blazing  fire,  but  off 
with  those  uncomfortable  appendages  to  your  lower  extremities, 
and  replace  them  with  dry  ones. 

OVERHEATED. 

When  overheated  from  extraordinary  exertion,  avoid  placing 
yourself  in  a  draught  of  air,  and  shun  the  almost  uncontrollable 
desire  hastily  to  quench  your  burning  thirst  with  the  crystal  waters 
of  some  sylvan  stream  that  bubbles  seductively  at  your  feet;  as 
a  sudden  checking  of  the  perspiratory  functions  by  these  means 
often  produces  the  most  serious  consequences,  and  death  itself  has 
followed  in  the  track  of  such  imprudence.  Do  not  be  tempted,  no 
matter  how  great  your  fatigue,  to  remain  quiescent  for  any  time, 
while  in  a  state  of  free  perspiration,  in  a  damp  or  wet  place ;  do 
not  sit  down  to  rest  your  wearied  limbs,  but  keep  in  gentle  motion, 
until  your  skin  has  assumed  its  natural  temperature,  and  then  you 
may  quaff  freely  and  rest  in  safety.  A  professional  acquaintance 
of  the  author,  a  few  years  since,  fell  a  victim  to  his  own  folly  by 
going  into  a  damp  cellar,  and  remaining  for  some  time,  by  way  of 
cooling  himself  during  an  excessively  hot  day  in  summer. 

If  hot  or  thirsty,  mix  a  little  wine,  spirits,  or  vinegar, — the  latter 
if  you  be  a  teetotaler, — with  the  water  before  drinking  it:  this 
precaution  will  counteract  any  bad  effects  arising  from  partaking 
of  the  fluid  when  in  an  excited  state.  It  is  also  well  to  bathe  the 
wrists  and  temples  before  drinking. 

STATE   OF   THE    ATMOSPHERE. 

There  is  certainly  a  vast  difference  between  the  air  of  the  moun- 
tains and  that  of  the  low,  marshy  districts  of  our  country.  The 
former  is  pure  and  healthy,  while  the  latter  is  corrupt  and  often 
poisonous.  The  one  contains  all  the  natural  constituents  for  sup- 
plying the  respiratory  functions  with  that  food  so  essential  to  their 


496  lewis's  ameeican  sportsman. 

\vell-being,  while  the  other  is  tainted  with  the  germs  or  exciting 
causes  of  numerous  epidemic  and  endemic  affections. 

Therefore,  if  the  sportsman  should  visit  the  malarious  districts 
during  the  season  of  these  poisonous  exhalations,  it  behooves  him 
to  be  extremely  cautious  how  he  exposes  himself  to  their  delete- 
rious influences.  He  should  not,  in  the  first  place,  be  too  eager  to 
sally  forth  to  the  fields  before  the  morning  mists  are  absorbed  by 
the  benign  rays  of  the  sun  and  all  the  malarious  effluvia  wafted  off 
by  the  gentle  morning  breezes.  Nor  should  he  toil  too  much  in 
the  heat  of  the  day,  so  as  to  enervate  his  frame  to  such  an  extent 
as  to  destroy  the  equable  balance  of  health,  and  thus  render  his 
system  more  susceptible  to  the  poisonous  malaria  engendered 
around  him.  Nor  should  he  permit  his  love  of  sport  to  beguile 
him  to  remain  out  in  the  field  after  Father  Sol  has  dipped  below 
the  horizon ;  otherwise,  the  evening's  fog  may  shortly  treat  him  to 
an  unfriendly  "shake."  But,  above  all,  he  should  avoid  sleeping 
in  malarious  districts  with  open  windows.  If  the  weather  be  chilly, 
have  a  fire,  if  possible,  in  your  bedroom,  or  fumigate  it  thoroughly 
with  cigar-smoke  before  retiring:  we  say  cigar-smoke,  as  this  is 
generally  the  most  pleasant  mode  of  fumigation  to  which  a  sports- 
man has  it  in  his  power  to  resort.  In  the  absence  of  this,  however, 
have  recourse  to  the  burning  of  paper  or  rags,  or  adopt  any  other 
method  that  the  ingenuity  of  the  party  may  suggest.  A  little 
brown  sugar  or  a  handful  of  feathers  thrown  on  a  hot  shovel  will 
assist  materially  in  disinfecting  a  sleeping-apartment  in  a  ma- 
larious region. 

The  exhalations  of  a  noxious  country  are  all  destroyed  by  the 
cold  weather,  and  we  may  then  visit  those  districts  which  are  quite 
unapproachable  during  the  spring  and  summer  months,  owing  to 
the  existence  of  this  aeriform  substance,  termed  "miasma,"  that  is 
sure  to  fix  upon  a  stranger  who  is  so  imprudent  as  to  venture  there 
in  the  sickly  season. 


DIET    AND    DRINK.  497 


DIET    AND    DRINK. 


"With  relish  would  you  taste  your  rich  repast?  / 

'Tis  appetite  must  make  that  relish  last ; 
If  the  great  orator  did  right  to  say 
That  eloquence  in  action,  action  lay ; 
And  will  you  ask  me,  Appetite  comes  whence  ? 
A  fortiori^  I  should  answer — thence. 
You  want — what  you  may  think  an  idle  notion — 
Perpetual  exercise  !  perpetual  motion  ! 
A  substitute  for  bread,  your  poorer  neighbor ; 
But  you  require  a  substitute — for  labor!" 

"Eat  and  drink  with  moderation,  if  you  wish  to  live  long,"  is  a 
saying  not  less  applicable  to  sportsmen  than  to  other  persons ;  but 
to  quaff  lightly  is  absolutely  necessary,  not  only  for  the  comfort 
but  for  the  success  of  the  shooter,  as  much  depends  upon  his 
temperance  in  all  things  appertaining  to  the  bottle.  It  is  im- 
possible, as  all  will  grant,  (old  topers  not  excepted,)  that  any  one, 
no  matter  how  hardy  he  may  be,  can  take  the  field  with  a  steady 
hand  and  sure  eye  on  the  morning  following  an  evening's  debauch; 
we  will  use  even  a  milder  term,  and  say  after  a  night's  frolic. 
Laying  aside  the  headache  and  the  general  malaise  that  most 
usually  attend  excesses  of  this  kind,  the  nervous  system,  even  in  the 
most  robust,  must  suffer  more  or  less  from  the  reaction  that  takes 
place  on  such  occasions ;  and  the  muscular  system,  sympathizing 
with  it  in  its  derangement,  renders  the  whole  vital  apparatus  unstrung 
and  unfit  for  arduous  duty,  such  as  the  sports  of  the  field  require. 

These  conclusions  are  so  evident  that  it  requires  no  argument 
to  support  them ;  and  we  suppose  no  one  will  deny  that  such  are 
the  inevitable  results  of  any  excess  in  drinking. 

No  drink  insures  better  health,  and  produces  a  more  equable 
tone  throughout  the  whole  system,  than  the  exclusive  use  of  un- 
adulterated water, — nature's  gift, — the  only  beverage  to  which  all 
animated  creation  instinctively  resorts  to  quench  the  natural 
cravings  of  thirst. 

A  fondness  for  other  fluids,  especially  vinous  liquors,  is  the 

effect  of  education  and  habit,  as  few  persons   like  the  taste  of 

any  description   of  spirits  the  first  time  they  venture   to  apply 

32 


498  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

their  lips  to  the  brimming  bowl;  moreover,  there  never  was  a 
drunkard  made  a  sot  in  a  week;  the  dreadful  vice  is  the  conse- 
quence of  a  long  and  obstinate  use  of  these  liquors,  which  actually 
at  first  were  very  obnoxious  to  him.  Water  is  the  best  solvent  of 
all  food  taken  into  the  stomach,  and  there  is  no  drink  that  favors, 
or  rather  assists,  the  digestive  apparatus  so  much,  in  a  state  of 
health,  in  the  performance  of  its  duties.  It  should  therefore  be 
used  in  preference  to  all  other  beverages  by  the  sportsman,  as  well 
as  by  all  others  who  wish  to  live  to  an  advanced  age.  It  is  a  well- 
known  fact  that  all  those  individuals  who  have  attained  a  great 
age  were  and  are  water-drinkers ;  and  it  is  seldom  that  we  hear 
of  an  inebriate,  or  even  of  what  are  termed  moderate  drinkers, 
arriving  at  old  age  free  from  chronic  affections. 

If,  however,  it  be  necessary,  either  from  habit  or  the  peculiar 
condition  of  the  constitution,  to  take  a  "little  something"  occa- 
sionally during  our  excursions,  let  that  little  be  of  the  very  best ; 
and,  in  order  to  insure  this,  carry  it  along  with  you. 

Avoid,  by  all  decent  means,  partaking  of  the  poisonous  drugs, 
called  spirits,  that  are  so  generally  found  at  the  bars  of  our  country 
taverns.  Such  liquors,  most  frequently,  are  not  fit  even  to  bathe 
the  feet  in,  let  alone  putting  into  your  stomach.  A  dose  or  two 
of  such  trash  is  often  sufficient  to  upset  a  temperate  man  for  days. 
To  avoid  the  necessity  of  having  recourse  to  this  vile  stuff,  in  case 
of  sickness  or  otherwise,  take,  as  before  recommended,  a  small 
store  of  good  spirits  along  with  you,  as  a  part  and  parcel  of  your 
necessary  ammunition;  but,  as  before  observed,  consider  it  as  a 
medicine,  only  to  be  used  when  circumstances  demand  it. 

It  is  often  very  difficult,  either  from  motives  of  politeness,  or  of 
actual  policy  on  the  part  of  the  sportsman,  to  avoid  drinking  at 
the  bars  of  country  taverns ;  in  such  cases,  take  as  sparingly  as 
possible  of  the  liquor,  and  largely  of  the  water,  and  then  take  as 
little  of  the  abominable  mixture  as  you  can  well  get  off  with.  We 
have  more  than  once  been  placed  in  this  unfortunate  position,  but 
have  always  succeeded  in  extricating  ourselves  by  a  little  manoeuv- 
ring, without  suffering  from  an  overdose  of  the  nauseating  drugs. 


SLEEP.  499 

SLEEP. 

It  is  absolutely  necessary  that  the  wasted  forces  of  the  body 
should  be  restored  by  refreshing  sleep.  The  amount  of  sleep 
should  be  proportioned  to  the  fatigue  undergone ;  therefore,  after 
a  hard  day's  hunt,  retire  as  soon  as  possible,  and  do  not  sit  dozing 
and  nodding  before  the  fire.  Rest,  so  natural  to  all  animal  life, 
will  soon  restore  the  wearied  functions  to  their  normal  state  of 
existence,  and  impart  fresh  vigor  and  strength  to  the  exhausted 
frame  of  the  ardent  sportsman,  and  thus  make  him  ready  for  the 
pleasures  or  business  of  the  succeeding  day.  Sleep  acts  as  a  balm 
to  his  excited  system,  and  restores  that  just  equilibrium  of  the 
vital  functions  so  much  deranged  by  long-continued  efforts  in 
search  of  game.  Without  a  fair  quantum  of  healthful  repose,  it 
is  impossible  for  any  one  to  pursue  the  sports  of  the  field  with  that 
zest  and  ardor  that  every  lover  of  the  gun  and  dog  should  possess. 

Sleep,  however,  to  be  beneficial,  should  be  moderate  and  not 
indulged  in  to  excess,  but,  as  before  observed,  should  be  regulated 
by  the  amount  of  labour  undergone.  Excess  of  sleep  relaxes  the 
system,  and  even  enervates  the  whole  physical  as  well  as  mental 
apparatus.  Less  sleep  is  required  in  warm  weather  than  in  cold; 
and  Nature  herself  seems  to  have  regulated  this  fact  by  giving  us 
the  long  nights  of  winter  for  sleep,  and  the  short  nights  of  summer 
for  siestas  only. 

Some  individuals  require  much  more  sleep  than  others.  We  are 
satisfied  with  six  or  seven  hours  under  ordinary  circumstances,  and 
are  led  to  believe  that  most  persons  can  get  along  with  a  similar 
quantity.  It  is  astonishing  with  what  little  sleep  some  persons  of 
active  disposition  accustom  themselves  to,  either  from  necessity  or 
habit ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  many  slothful  drones,  whose  whole 
time  is  spent  in  strutting  about  like  turkey-cocks  up  and  down  our 
principal  streets,  are  not  satisfied  with  double  and  treble — nay,  even 
quadruple  —  the  repose  that  many  of  our  most  active  citizens 
require. 

It  is  well  known  that  many  of  the  most  distinguished  com- 


600  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

manders  who  have  made  the  earth  tremble  with  their  great  deeds 
allotted  but  two  or  three  hours  of  the  twenty-four  to  sleep,  even 
during  the  fatigues  of  the  most  exciting  campaigns.  Napoleon  and 
Frederick  the  Great  are  both  instances  of  this  fact. 

GALLED   HEELS. 

If  by  any  mishap  your  heel  should  get  galled,  the  inconvenience 
can  often  be  remedied  by  adopting  the  plan  recommended  by 
Hawker,  but  which  we,  as  well  as  many  others,  adopted  before 
reading  it  in  the  colonel's  work: — Take  a  small  particle  of  gold- 
beaters' skin,  and  apply  it  over  the  wounded  surface ;  when  this  is 
perfectly  dry,  and  adheres  well  without  wrinkling  when  the  foot  is 
set  in  motion  from  the  ankle-joint,  take  a  piece  of  court-plaster  cut 
perfectly  round,  or,  what  is  better,  stamped  with  a  wadding-punch, 
so  that  there  be  not  the  slightest  irregularity  or  inequality  on  its 
circumference ;  wet  it  with  the  tongue,  and,  holding  it  to  the  fire 
for  a  moment,  apply  it  directly  over  the  gold-beaters'  skin.  Hold 
the  foot  still  till  the  court-plaster  is  perfectly  dry,  then  rub  it  over 
with  a  little  sweet-oil,  tallow  candle,  or  any  other  kind  of  grease 
more  convenient;  this  latter  application  repels  the  moisture  and 
consequently  prevents  the  loosening  of  the  plaster.  A  galled  heel 
thus  treated,  with  a  change  made  in  our  boots,  need  give  us  no 
trouble,  as  the  plaster  will  stick  as  tightly  as  possible  through  a 
whole  day's  hard  work,  if  it  be  not  immediately  rubbed  with  a  con- 
tracted heel,  which  will  not  allow  the  foot  to  go  down  into  it,  but 
keeps  it  seesawing  up  and  down  at  every  step  we  take. 

If  we  should  suffer  from  having  our  ankles  occasionally  galled 
with  a  wrinkle  in  the  boot,  as  we  have  suffered  more  than  once,  the 
plan  proposed  by  Hawker  will  remedy  the  evil.  We  have  tried  it 
and  found  it  to  answer  a  good  purpose.  It  is  in  fact  the  only 
plan  to  pursue.  In  the  absence  of  the  pad,  one's  own  ingenuity 
can  construct  something  analogous.  The  colonel  says,  "Get  a 
square  silk  pad  similar  to  a  kettle-holder.  Then  have  sewed  on 
the  opposite  corners  of  it  pieces  of  list  long  enough  to  go  twice 
around  and  tie  on  the  ankle.      No  wrinkle  of  a  water-boot  can 


CORNS.  501 

then  cut  or  bruise  your  Hondo- A  chillis,'  or  back-sinew,  provided 
you  secure  the  pad  firmly  by  putting  it  over  your  common  stock- 
ing and  under  your  yarn  stocking." 


CORNS. 

As  writers  on  sporting-subjects,  even  those  of  the  highest  rank 
in  this  department  of  literature,  have  deigned  to  speak  upon  the 
subject  of  corns,  it  may  not  be  deemed  amiss  in  us  to  follow  the 
precedent,  although  we  may  not  be  able  to  add  much  that  is  new 
upon  the  subject. 

A  corn  is  nothing  more  than  a  portion  of  hardened  cuticle, 
generally  produced  by  the  pressure  of  the  boot,  or  of  one  toe 
against  another.  Those  formed  by  the  latter  cause  are  usually 
the  most  painful  and  difficult  to  be  treated,  as  they  are  situated 
between  the  toes ;  and  it  requires  much  management  to  relieve 
the  pressure  sufficiently  long  to  effect  a  cure,  so  long  as  the  sufferer 
is  obliged  to  incase  his  foot  in  a  boot. 

These  formations  on  the  feet  are  called  corns,  from  the  circum- 
stance that  a  piece  can  be  picked  out  very  like  a  corn  of  barley, 
which  fact  no  doubt  many  of  our  readers  who  are  troubled  in  this 
way  have  observed.  The  curing  of  corns,  in  these  modern  days 
of  improvement  and  charlatanism,  has  been  promoted  into  a  science 
by  some  few  pretending  worthies  who  have  sprung  into  existence 
from  the  Lord  knows  where,  and  taken  to  themselves  the  high- 
sounding  title  of  chiropodist  to  his  or  her  majesty's  big  toe,  we 


V 
502  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

suppose !  These  fellows  vaunt  themselves  much  upon  their  skill 
in  the  treatment  of  these  deformities,  and  even  produce  certificates 
from  respectable  sources  in  commendation  of  their  great  success, 
which  certificates  are  oftentimes  obtained  from  the  various  parties 
without  proper  consideration  or  the  lapse  of  sufficient  time  after 
the  operation  to  judge  of  its  real  efficacy.  The  public,  however, 
is  perhaps  better  able  to  judge  of  the  merits  of  these  scientific 
operations  than  we  are;  nevertheless,  as  far  as  our  experience 
teaches  us,  these  ignoramuses,  with  their  high-toned  titles  and 
great  pretensions,  are  a  set  of  bunglers,  and  the  most  of  them 
entirely  unworthy  of  confidence.  Some  of  them  even  go  so  far 
in  their  charlatanism  as  to  succeed  in  gulling  their  victims  into  the 
belief  that  there  is  some  great  secret  attached  to  the  operation  of 
extracting  a  corn,  as  they  term  it,  and  make  a  great  ado  in  the 
matter,  as  it  were  to  confuse  the  looker-on  and  involve  their  clumsy 
operation  in  a  certain  degree  of  mystery.  All  we  have  to  say  of 
these  impudent  humbugs  is,  that  "  the  less  our  readers  have  to  do 
with  them  the  better." 

If,  reader,  you  have  been  foolish  enough,  or  rather  vain  enough, 
to  wear  a  tight  boot  in  order  to  exhibit  the  beautiful  proportions 
of  your  foot,  and  consequently  have  thus  produced  corns  and 
brought  upon  yourself  a  good  deal  of  suffering,  the  first  thing  to 
be  done  towards  relieving  yourself  of  these  little  tormentors  is  to 
call  on  an  expert  disciple  of  Saint  Crispin  and  order  forthwith  a 
pair  of  easy,  non-pinching  boots. 

This  being  done,  procure  some  soft  chamois-leather,  and  cut 
with  your  wadding-punch  several  pieces  of  it ;  through  the  centre 
of  these  pieces  punch  again  another  hole  still  smaller  with  a  large- 
sized  shoemaker's  punch :  this  hole  should  be  about  the  size  of  the 
corn  we  propose  to  operate  on. 

These  pieces  of  chamois  may  now  be  stuck  together  with  a  little 
thin  glue  or  any  other  kind  of  strong  paste,  and  as  many  thick- 
nesses used  as  will  be  necessary  to  protect  the  corn  from  the 
pressure  of  the  boot  when  it  is  laid  over  it.  The  under  surface, 
or  that  part  of  the  chamois-pad  to  be  apphed  around  the  corns, 


CORNS.  503 

should  be  spread  with  diachylon-plaster,  (to  be  obtained  from  any 
apothecary,)  and,  when  warmed  at  the  fire,  is  to  be  nicely  adjusted 
over  the  corn  in  such  a  manner  that  the  hole  in  its  centre  will 
come  immediately  over  the  corn,  and  thus  protect  it  entirely  from 
the  direct  pressure  of  the  boot  and  consequently  permit  the  patient 
to  walk  with  ease.  This  application  will  oftentimes  not  require 
readjusting  for  several  days,  and,  if  persevered  in  for  a  short  time, 
the  corn  will  entirely  disappear.  If  the  corn  is  between  the  toes, 
something  of  the  same  sort  must  be  contrived  for  its  relief.  We 
suffered  for  several  months  with  one  of  these  formations  in  this 
situation ;  and  we  must  confess  that  the  treatment  of  it  tried  our 
patience  and  exhausted  nearly  all  our  skill  before  our  efforts  were 
crowned  with  success.  We  have  heard  of  many  empirical  and  old 
women's  applications  for  the  cure  of  corns,  but  do  not  believe  that 
any  one  of  them  ever  performed  a  cure  if  the  primary  cause  of 
the  deformity  was  not  first  removed, — that  is,  "the  tight  boot." 
This  being  done,  any  one  of  them  may  without  difficulty  effect  a 
speedy  cure. 

The  following  recipe,  picked  up  we  know  not  where,  we  have 
used  successfully  on  several  occasions  in  the  cure  of  corns,  and 
therefore  can  recommend  it  with  some  degree  of  confidence : — The 
corn  should  be  pared  as  close  as  possible,  and  the  chamois-pad 
applied  as  above  directed,  and  the  mixture  put  on  with  a  camels'- 
hair  pencil,  every  other  evening,  for  a  week  or  ten  days ;  the  pad 
should  then  be  removed  and  the  foot  soaked  in  hot  water,  and  the 
corn  again  pared  of  all  the  softened  cuticle  that  will  come  off 
without  using  any  great  effort  or  producing  pain ;  the  pad  may  be 
again  applied  and  the  mixture  used  as  before.  This  will  generally 
be  sufficient  to  remove  the  enemy. 

R. — Tincture  of  iodine ^i"; 

loduret  of  iron grs.  xii; 

Chloride  of  antimony Jiv. 

An  excellent  corn-salve,  put  up  in  little  tin  boxes,  may  be  ob- 
tained from  the  great  herb  depot  in  Dock  Street.     It  appears  to 


504  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

be  of  about  the  same  consistency  as  the  plaster  known  as  Bur- 
gundy pitch.     It  softens  the  corn,  and  causes  it  to  peel  off. 

Hawker  furnishes  the  following  recipe,  which  he  recommends 
strongly.     We  have  never  had  occasion  to  try  it : — 

"  R . — Mercurial  plaster  ; 

Diachylon-plaster,  with  resin ; 

Diachylon-plaster aa  ^ij; 

Sugar  of  lead grs.  xx. 

All  mixed  together  and  spread  on  leather. 

"Apply  a  piece  of  this  plaster  for  three  or  four  days.  Then 
Boak  the  foot,  and  rub  the  corn  with  a  piece  of  pumice-stone. 
Again  repeat  the  plaster,  and  the  corn  will  soon  disappear. 

"N.B. — The  corn  never  to  be  cut." 

TREATMENT   OF  A  FALL,  SPRAIN,  BLOW,  OR  BURN. 

If  the  sportsman,  by  any  one  of  those  mishaps  incident  to  his 
pursuit,  should  meet  with  a  fall  and  consequently  sprain  his 
ankle,  wrist,  or  any  other  of  the  articulations  of  his  body,  the  best 
and  most  convenient  remedy,  and  one  nearly  always  at  hand,  is 
the  application  of  cold  water,  which  should  be  poured  on  the 
injured  part  in  a  continuous  stream  for  half  an  hour  or  more  imme- 
diately after  the  accident.  If  the  sufferer  can  get  near  a  pump  or 
by  the  side  of  a  small  waterfall,  and  place  the  limb  directly  under 
the  stream,  so  much  the  better ;  otherwise,  he  will  have  to  content 
himself  with  pouring  the  water  over  the  parts  from  his  hand  or 
sporting-cup. 

By  pursuing  this  plan  the  pain  will  be  diminished,  the  swelling 
prevented,  and  the  inflammation  of  the  parts  powerfully  opposed. 
The  operation,  however,  to  be  of  much  advantage,  should  be  com- 
menced as  soon  after  the  accident  as  possible,  and  persevered  in 
for  a  long  time.  The  colder  the  water  the  better.  The  limb 
should  not  be  used  for  some  time  after  the  accident,— in  fact,  so 
long  as  it  feels  tender  and  weak;  otherwise,  the  cure  will  be 
retarded  to  an  indefinite  period.  Sprains,  apparently  of  the  most 
trifling  character,  are  sometimes  attended  with  the  most  serious 


TREATMENT    OF   A   FALL,  SPRAIN,  BLOW,  OR   BURN.    505 

consequences,  perhaps  laming  the  party  for  several  months. 
Those  aflfecting  the  ankle  are  the  most  troublesome  and  require 
great  attention. 

On  one  occasion,  some  time  during  our  college  life,  we  rather 
officiously  proffered  to  hand  a  country-lassie  from  her  carriage, 
which  feat,  by-the-by,  she  could  have  performed  with  far  more 
ease,  grace,  and  elegance,  without  our  assistance,  and  perhaps  have 
jumped  clean  over  our  head  besides,  if  we  had  desired  her  so  to 
do,  or,  rather,  had  bantered  her  upon  her  want  of  agility.  The 
ground  was  slippery,  with  a  high  pile  of  snow  on  the  side-walk 
directly  in  front  of  the  vehicle.  In  her  over-anxiety  to  grasp  our 
extended  hand,  or  rather  in  our  great  desire  to  support  her  delicate 
frame^  she  neglected  freeing  her  garments  from  the  projecting 
step,  and  the  consequence  was  a  trip  up,  and  down  she  came  on 
top  of  us  with  a  perfect  rush,  knocking  us  over  and  burying  our 
head  and  face  almost  a  foot  under  the  snow.  In  an  instant  she 
sprang  to  her  feet,  shouting  and  laughing  at  the  top  of  her  voice, 
at  the  same  time  plying  us  with  handfuls  of  snow,  as  a  reward,  we 
presume,  for  our  awkwardness.  Without  any  complaint  whatever 
she  walked  or  rather  ran  into  the  house,  standing  a  few  rods  from 
the  street.  In  the  course  of  half  an  hour  or  so  she  felt  a  slight 
pain  in  her  ankle-joint,  and  discovered  that  the  parts  around  were 
swollen.  Little  attention,  however,  was  given  to  the  matter  that 
day. 

On  the  following  morning  the  ankle  and  foot  were  enormously 
swollen  and  painful ;  on  the  next  day  the  swelling  increased,  and 
the  inflammation  was  very  great ;  and  so  it  continued  for  days,  and 
weeks,  and  months,  and  the  upshot  of  the  occurrence  was  a  rigid 
confinement  to  the  house  for  about  nine  months,  with  the  dread  at 
one  time  of  losing  the  whole  foot ;  and  after  the  lapse  of  two  years 
she  had  not  entirely  recovered  the  use  of  her  limb,  (so  she  informed 
me,)  although  we  can  vouch  for  her  being  now  able  to  cross  over, 
back  to  hack,  lady's  chain,  right  and  left,  during  a  whole  winter's 
evening,  without  ever  refusing  a  single  proposition  to  dance  from 
the  country  beaux. 


506  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

After  tLe  application  of  the  water,  and  the  limb  being  at  rest, 
it  will  be  well  to  bathe  or  rather  gently  rub  the  parts  with  some 
kind  of  opodeldoc.  Sweet-oil,  goose-grease,  laudanum,  spirits  of 
camphor,  hartshorn,  brandy,  alcohol,  rum,  whiskey,  &c.  &c.  are 
the  bases  of  all  the  mixtures  known  under  the  term  opodeldoc. 
Any  one  or  two  of  these  substances,  or  all  of  them,  may  be  em- 
ployed. For  the  purpose  of  friction,  the  mixture  should  be  strong 
enough  to  produce  a  smarting  sensation  and  impart  a  certain  de- 
gree of  redness  to  the  skin  when  rubbed  in.  Brandy  and  salt  is 
a  good  application  for  this  purpose,  and  can  be  obtained  with  con- 
venience at  almost  any  place. 

This  done,  the  parts  may  be  bathed  or  kept  wet  with  a  solution 
of  sugar-of-lead,  made  with  equal  parts  of  water  and  vinegar.  If 
the  limb,  in  spite  of  all  these  precautions,  should  be  painful  and 
continue  to  swell,  it  will  ease  it  very  much  to  apply  a  large  poul- 
tice of  flaxseed,  corn-meal,  onions,  &c.  If  it  gets  worse,  send  for 
a  doctor,  if  within  a  hundred  miles,  and  he  will  order  the  joint  to 
be  leeched  and  prescribe  a  dose  of  salts  and  magnesia. 

Perfect  rest  to  the  limb  is  of  the  greatest  importance,  and  with- 
out it  no  treatment  will  produce  a  cure.  If  the  ankle  is  the  affected 
joint,  the  foot  should  be  kept  up  on  a  pillow,  and  never  put  to  the 
ground  till  free  of  pain.  A  blow  or  bruise  may  be  treated  pretty 
much  in  the  same  way. 

The  following  lotion  for  sprains  and  bruises  we  give  as  recom- 
mended by  an  old  English  sportsman  and  soldier,  —  General 
Hanger.  The  reason  why  we  give  this  old-fashioned  recipe  in 
preference  to  any  other  of  more  modern  date  is  that  we  adopted 
it  several  years  ago  as  a  kind  of  family  cure-all,  for  man  and  beast, 
and  found  it  to  answer  a  most  excellent  purpose. 

R. — Spirits  of  wine ^yiij  . 

Gum  camphor 5: . 

Spirits  of  turpentine ^j  . 

Spirits  of  sal  ammoniac ?j  . 

Oil  of  origanum •. Zgg  . 

Laudanum z : 


BURN. — WOUNDED    EYE.  507 

Dissolve  the  camphor  in  the  spirits  of  wine  first,  then  add  the 
other  ingredients.  To  be  rubbed  in  with  the  hand,  for  a  quarter 
of  an  hour^  several  times  each  day.  This  mixture  will  be  found 
very  efficacious  in  the  case  of  men,  women,  children,  horses, 
dogs,  and  cattle.  If  the  surface  of  the  wound  be  excoriated,  it 
will  not  do  to  apply  this  mixture  directly  to  the  spot,  as  it  will 
cause  too  much  pain ;  it  may  be  used,  however,  on  the  parts  ad- 
joining. 

BURN. 

The  best  application  to  a  fresh  hum  is  raw  cotton  dipped  in 
sweet-oil  or  molasses;  lime-water  and  sweet-oil  also  make  an  ex- 
cellent dressing. 

WOUNDED   EYE. 

If  a  bug,  seed,  or  twig,  should  fly  into  the  eye,  it  ought  to  be 
removed  as  soon  as  possible.  If  you  have  a  companion  along, 
make  him  explore  the  eye  thoroughly  till  he  gets  it  out,  whatever 
it  may  be,  with  the  corner  of  a  handkerchief;  else  you  will  be 
tormented  all  day  with  it,  and  the  eye  will  become  irritated  and 
inflamed  from  its  presence.  A  small  seed  will  sometimes  bury 
itself  in  the  lining  membrane  of  the  lids,  and  remain  there  for 
hours  if  not  removed  by  a  skilful  hand ;  to  do  this,  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  take  a  small  pencil-case,  or  any  smooth  article  about  the 
same  dimensions,  in  the  left  hand  between  the  forefinger  and 
thumb,  (provided  our  patient's  right  eye  is  afi*ected,)  gently  press 
the  pencil  lengthwise  against  the  lower  part  of  the  lid,  at  the  same 
time  seizing  the  eyelashes  with  the  forefinger  and  thumb  of  the 
right  hand;  with  a  dexterous  motion  the  lid  is  everted,  and  its 
whole  surface  can  be  examined.  This  operation  may  appear  diffi- 
cult to  the  reader ;  but  we  can  assure  him  it  is  very  simple,  and 
can  be  performed  by  any  one  with  a  little  practice. 

Bathing  the  eye  in  cold  water  will  often  remove  particles  that 
may  have  blown  into  it,  as  well  as  afibrd  considerable  relief  after 
the  removal  of  such  substances.     The  eye,  during  the  evening, 


508  lewis's    AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN. 

should  be  protected  from  the  heat  of  the  fire  and  the  glare  of  the 
candle,  not  by  bandaging  it  up,  as  some  foolish  persons  would  sup- 
pose, but  by  shading  it  with  a  broad-brimmed  hat,  or,  what  is 
better,  sitting  with  the  back  to  both.  A  bandage  will  heat  the 
eye  and  increase  the  inflammation. 

The  following  is  an  excellent  collyrium  to  be  used  in  slight 
inflammation  of  the  eye  arising  from  wounds,  colds,  and  similar 
causes. 

R. — Yinegar  one  teaspoonful. 

Laudanum thirty  drops. 

Water eight  teaspoonfuls. 

This  preparation  can  be  had  at  all  times,  as  there  is  hardly  a 
family  in  any  part  of  the  country  that  has  not  a  little  laudanum 
with  which  to  dose  a  squalling  child  or  to  cure  an  attack  of  cholic. 

SORE  THROAT. 

If  the  throat  should  feel  sore,  from  exposure  to  wet  feet  or  any 
other  of  those  numerous  causes  to  which  all  sportsmen  are  open 
during  their  excursions,  have  recourse  to  the  following  gargle, 
which  we  have  used  over  and  over  again  with  perfect  success 
in  such  cases.  We  have  also  recommended  it  frequently  to  our 
friends  with  like  results : — 

R.— Barley-water two  and  a  half  teacups; 

Honey.... two  tablespoonfuls ; 

"Vinegar four  tablespoonfuls ; 

Tincture  of  myrrh three  teaspoonfuls. 

Mix,  and  use  frequently. 

If  these  ingredients  cannot  be  obtained,  take  equal  quantities 
of  vinegar  and  water  with  a  sprinkle  of  Cayenne  pepper,  and 
gargle.  The  throat  should  be  rubbed  with  hartshorn,  oil,  and 
laudanum ;  even  goose-grease  will  help. 

TO   STOP  HEMORRHAGE. 

If  by  any  accident  an  artery  should  be  opened  in  any  part  of 
the  limbs,  the  bleeding  is  very  easily  arrested  by  tying  a  hand- 


TO    TELL    THE    AGE    OF    A    DOG.  509 

kerchief  around  the  limb ;  it  should  be  drawn  tightly,  and  answers 
better  if  a  knot  is  put  in  it,  which  is  to  be  placed  directly  over  the 
course  of  the  bleeding  vessel.  By  this  means  the  pressure  will  be 
exerted  more  directly  upon  it.  This  bandage  should  not  be  re- 
moved till  a  surgeon  is  present. 

All  the  principal  bloodvessels  run  on  the  inside  of  the  limbs,  and 
can  be  easily  discovered  by  the  pulsation. 


^-c^ 


TO   TELL   THE   AGE   OF   A   DOG. 

It  just  occurs  to  US  how  ignorant  many  of  our  friends  are  as  to 
the  mode  of  telling  the  age  of  a  dog;  we  therefore  give  in  this 
place  a  few  hints  on  the  subject. 

Take,  for  instance,  a  puppy  at  one  year  old ;  open  his  mouth, 
and  examine  his  front  teeth ;  take  no  heed  of  the  side  or  jaw-teeth, 
save  to  admire  their  ivory-like  appearance. 

These  front  teeth, — or,  more  scientifically  speaking,  these  in- 
cisors,— both  in  the  upper  and  lower  jaw,  will  be  found  jagged  and 
uneven :  this  appearance  may  be  termed  the  marks  of  the  dog. 
The  age  of  a  dog  may  be  determined  by  these  marks  with  the  same 
degree  of  certainty  with  which  a  jockey  guesses  at  the  age  of  a 
horse.  These  marks  continue  longer  in  the  upper  teeth  than  they 
do  in  the  lower,  and  the  jagged,  uneven  appearance  noticed  in  the 
pup  is  half  gone  at  the  age  of  three  or  four  years ;  when  it  has  en- 
tirely disappeared  and  all  the  front  teeth  have  become  worn 
smooth  and  even,  the  dog  is  nearly  or  quite  full  six  years  old. 


510 


LEWIS  S    AMEKICAN    SPORTSMAN. 


When  the  front  teeth  are  not  only  worn  smooth,  but  worn 
greatly  away,  the  dog  is  well  on  to  eight  or  even  ten  years ;  and 
we  may  then  notice,  in  the  majority  of  dogs,  other  signs  of  age 
which  are  not  to  be  mistaken, — such  as  the  turning  gray  of  the 
hair,  about  the  eyes  particularly,  and  which  gradually  spreads 
over  the  whole  face.  Dogs  are  seldom  good  for  any  sporting-pur- 
poses after  ten  years  of  age ;  and  but  few  of  them,  even  at  this 
early  period,  if  they  have  not  had  kind  treatment  and  good  atten- 
tion, are  worth  taking  to  the  field  except  for  a  few  hours'  hunt. 


DAY    AND    TO    $T.OO    ON    T^  ^'^  "^"^  ^^^^RTH 
OVERDUE.  ^'^    ^"E    SEVENTH     DAY 


YC   19937 


M151367 

SK  3/3 

THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CAUFORNIA  LIBRARY 


